Rangpur farmers block highway demanding urea

Farmers of Pirganj upazila in Rangpur blocked the Rangpur-Dhaka Highway demanding urea fertilizer for around an hour causing immense suffering to the commuters on Saturday, reports UNB.

Sources said several hundred farmers from different areas of the upazila gathered on the highway in Pirganj Bazar area to press home their demand, which caused a huge tailback on the both sides of the busy road.

Like many other farmers, Ahsanul Hoque, Nasir Uddin and Kabirul Islam said they failed to manage the urea fertilizer despite desperate efforts for the past ten days.

"We planted aman paddy seedlings around ten days late compared to normal using alternative source of water due to the drought like situation. These saplings won't grow properly if we don't get the fertilizer in time," they apprehended.

"We will go for a tougher movement unless the problem is resolved immediately," they threatened.

The agitating farmers accompanied by general people left the road following an assurance of the local administration to address the problem as soon as possible.

Mahbub Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Pirganj police station, said the farmers withdrew the blockade paving the way for normal traffic following assurances by the upazila nirbahi officer to address it.