290 Sacks of Government Fertiliser Seized in Bhola's Ilisha on Smuggling Suspicion, Warehouse Sealed

Local residents have seized 290 sacks of government fertiliser in Char Ilisha village of Purba Ilisha Union in Bhola Sadar Upazila on suspicion of smuggling. The incident took place on Tuesday night (November 3) in the Dargar Khal area of Ward No. 6 of the union. The upazila administration later reached the spot, recovered the fertiliser, stored it in a local warehouse and sealed the warehouse.

Locals said that when fertiliser was being taken by boat through the Dargar Khal area at night, people of the area surrounded a trawler and a nosimon vehicle on suspicion. A search found 290 sacks of government-priced TSP and DAP fertiliser.

Locals alleged that the fertiliser, allocated for Bhola's farmers, was being smuggled out of the district by river to be sold at higher prices. They expressed anger that a syndicate of dealers creates an artificial fertiliser crisis at field level and smuggles it out for extra profit.

At the scene, locals recovered a receipt from the trawler boatman Shahid. The receipt listed 80 sacks of DAP at 1,050 taka per sack, totalling 84,000 taka. Questioning the discrepancy, local farmer Mainuddin said that if there was a receipt for 80 sacks, where did the remaining 210 sacks come from.

Farmer Maksud alleged that dealers prepare fake vouchers in farmers' names to withdraw fertiliser and smuggle it out for sale at high prices. As a result, ordinary farmers of Bhola are not getting the fertiliser they need and are worried about crop production, he said.

The detained trawler boatman Shahid, however, claimed that Rafik Majhi and Mannan of Char Ilisha village had bought the fertiliser from BADC fertiliser and seed dealer Messrs Mizan Traders. It was being taken for farmers of various chars in Bhola, with no intention of smuggling it out of the district, he said. Farmer Rafik made the same claim, but he could not produce a valid and complete purchase receipt. Attempts to reach Mizan, owner of the accused dealer firm Messrs Mizan Traders, by mobile phone were unsuccessful.

On receiving the news, police from the Ilisha outpost went to the scene and took the fertiliser into their custody. Bhola Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sajal Kumar Das later went to the spot at night and recovered the fertiliser.

UNO Sajal Kumar Das said no one could immediately produce valid documents for the fertiliser. For that reason, the fertiliser was recovered, kept in a local warehouse and the warehouse was sealed for verification. The matter will be investigated seriously and necessary action taken, he said.

Bhola Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Kamrul Hasan said that, according to the dealer point, the fertiliser was claimed to be intended for farmers of Velumia, Veduria and Alimabad Union of Barishal for cultivating watermelon, capsicum, chichinga and cucumber in the char areas. Whether any farmer or dealer withdrew fertiliser illegally or with fake documents will be investigated, and strict legal action will be taken if the allegation is proved, he said.

Local farmers have demanded that the syndicate involved in fertiliser smuggling and illegal stockpiling be identified through a quick, impartial investigation and given exemplary punishment.