Bangladesh fertilizer shortage drives farmers to raid dealer warehouse

More than 200 farmers in northern Bangladesh gathered at a fertilizer dealer’s warehouse Sunday and later broke in, taking 197 sacks of urea amid shortages, according to local media.

Farmers had gathered at Shah Amanat Traders in Kurigram’s Bhurungamari upazila to buy fertilizer for Aman rice cultivation but became agitated after the dealer point remained closed.

Police said demand in Shilkhuri union was about 4,000 sacks, while only 1,320 had been allocated.

“The farmers had taken away 197 sacks of fertiliser. Later, through police efforts, 33 farmers returned as many sacks,” said Azim Uddin, officer-in-charge of Bhurungamari Police Station.

Dealer Taifur Rahman Mukul said some people joined the farmers and broke into the warehouse. He said government allocations were below local demand and fertilizer was sold at government-set prices.