Farmers in two upazilas of Kurigram staged protests over fertilizer supplies on Monday, with a group breaking into a dealer’s warehouse in Roumari and taking away bags of urea after waiting through the night for distribution to begin.
The unrest also spread to Bhurungamari, where farmers blocked a road and briefly confined the local agriculture officer after complaining that they were not receiving the amount of fertilizer they needed.
The incidents come amid growing frustration among farmers in Kurigram over fertilizer availability and distribution, although agriculture officials maintain that the district has adequate stocks.
The warehouse incident occurred Monday morning at Messrs Mita Hasan Enterprise in Bandaber Bazar of Roumari upazila.
Local farmers said they began lining up outside the warehouse from around 2 a.m. Sunday night, hoping to receive fertilizer. When distribution had still not begun by morning, frustration among the waiting farmers grew.
Between around 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., several farmers broke through the warehouse’s tin fencing and door, entered the premises and took away fertilizer.
Videos circulated on social media showed people carrying bags of fertilizer out of the warehouse, some on their heads and others using vans. Police later arrived and brought the situation under control.
Agriculture Official Disputes Incident
Roumari Upazila Agriculture Officer Mahbubul Alam Basunia, however, denied that fertilizer had been looted from the warehouse.
He claimed the video circulating on social media was fake and said no such incident had occurred in Bandaber Union.
Basunia said Roumari has about 42,000 farmers and maintained that all of them were receiving fertilizer properly.
The warehouse management gave a sharply different account.
Saiful Islam, manager of Messrs Mita Hasan Enterprise, confirmed the incident and said the warehouse had contained 750 bags of fertilizer.
According to him, around 1,000 farmers gathered there Monday morning. A rush developed as farmers competed over who would receive fertilizer first.
Islam said warehouse representatives went to the police station and the office of the upazila nirbahi officer seeking help to control the situation.
He alleged that farmers took advantage of their absence, broke through the warehouse’s fencing and door and removed an estimated 100 to 150 bags of urea.
The exact amount taken would be known after the stock was fully counted, he said.
Distribution of the remaining fertilizer was later resumed with assistance from police and the local administration.
Roumari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kawsar Ali said police had not been informed in advance about the fertilizer distribution.
Officers were deployed after police learned of the farmers’ anger and unrest, he said.
Farmers Block Road in Bhurungamari
Unrest over fertilizer also erupted in Bhurungamari on Monday morning.
Farmers in the Sonahat area blocked a road, alleging that they were not receiving fertilizer according to their needs.
Protesters lit a fire on the road and stopped traffic.
When the upazila agriculture officer went to the area, angry farmers confined the official for some time. Police later arrived and rescued the officer.
Bhurungamari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Azim Uddin said protests over fertilizer were occurring almost every day in one union or another across the upazila.
In some places, farmers were also blocking roads, he said, adding that police were regularly having to deploy personnel to control the situation.
Officials Say Kurigram Has Enough Fertilizer
Despite the repeated protests, the Department of Agricultural Extension maintains that Kurigram has adequate fertilizer stocks.
Abdullah Al Mamun, deputy director of the department in the district, said many farmers were collecting additional fertilizer for early cultivation of corn and eggplant.
This increased demand was creating temporary shortages in some areas, he said.
The official explanation contrasts with the scenes unfolding in several parts of the district, where farmers have repeatedly protested over delays in fertilizer distribution or their inability to obtain the amount they say they need.
Repeated Protests Over Fertilizer
Monday’s incidents were the latest in a series of fertilizer-related disturbances in Kurigram.
On Sunday, farmers vandalized a distributor’s warehouse at Kachakata Bazar in Nageshwari, alleging delays in fertilizer distribution.
Farmers also blocked a road in Bhurungamari the same day demanding fertilizer.
An earlier incident occurred on Aug. 23 at Dhaldanga Bazar in Shilkhuri Union of Bhurungamari.
Farmers broke through the fencing of a dealer’s warehouse and took away 225 bags of fertilizer.
After receiving assurances from the administration, 115 bags were later returned.
In that case, farmers accused the dealer of failing to provide fertilizer on time and alleged irregularities in cash memos.
The authorities subsequently issued a show-cause notice to the dealer.
The repeated incidents underline the gap between the authorities’ assurances that fertilizer stocks are adequate and farmers’ complaints about getting fertilizer when and where they need it.
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