Tensions over fertiliser distribution in Kurigram have escalated again, with a group of farmers allegedly breaking through the fencing and door of a dealer’s warehouse in Roumari and taking away more than 100 sacks of fertiliser.
The incident took place on Monday morning, 7 September, at a warehouse operated by Mita-Hasan Enterprise in the Mohila Collegepara area of Roumari Sadar Union. The episode has added to growing concerns over fertiliser distribution in the district, following earlier disturbances in Bhurungamari and Nageshwari.
Accounts of what happened differ sharply between local farmers and the administration. Officials have rejected the description of the incident as a straightforward case of looting, saying that disorder broke out while farmers were collecting fertiliser and that some sacks were taken away amid the rush. Videos circulated on social media, however, showed people carrying sacks from the warehouse, prompting widespread discussion over the incident.
Witnesses said farmers had gathered at the dealer’s point from the early hours to collect fertiliser. They claimed that the dealer, agricultural officials and members of the police or administration were not present when the expected distribution time passed. As waiting continued, frustration among the farmers reportedly increased.
Farmer Zakir Hossain said people from Ward 3 of Bandaber Union and surrounding areas had assembled outside the warehouse before dawn. According to him, farmers waited for a considerable period without seeing the dealer. When distribution had still not started by around 11am, tensions rose and some farmers broke through the tin fencing and entered the warehouse.
Some of those present reportedly carried sacks on their heads, while others loaded them onto auto-rickshaws and vans. Footage of the incident subsequently spread across social media.
Saiful Islam, manager of the fertiliser dealership, said distribution had been scheduled to begin at about 9.30am. As the situation became tense, he said, attempts were made to seek assistance from the Upazila Nirbahi Officer. Before administrative support could be arranged, however, farmers broke part of the warehouse fencing and its door and removed sacks of fertiliser.
He said some farmers later returned sacks because of fear, while others left them by the roadside. A number of people who took fertiliser reportedly paid for it. As a result, the exact quantity removed could not immediately be established. The manager said the stock would be checked at the end of the day to determine the actual shortage.
According to Saiful Islam, more than 300 sacks of urea had been sold from the warehouse on 31 August. There were 739 sacks in stock on Monday morning, he said, and the dealership had not been facing a shortage. He attributed the disorder to growing agitation among the people waiting for fertiliser.
Roumari Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Mahbubul Alam Basunia said there was no fertiliser shortage in the upazila. He urged farmers to remain patient while collecting supplies and said arrangements would be made from Tuesday to sell fertiliser through open-market channels. The move, he suggested, would also help counter rumours surrounding fertiliser availability.
Roumari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Mahbubul Hasan also disputed claims that sacks had simply been looted. He said he had personally visited several fertiliser dealerships to monitor the situation. While some disorder had occurred at one sales point, members of the law-enforcement agencies later went there and brought the situation under control. Farmers subsequently queued up and purchased fertiliser before returning home, he said.
The administration is also considering whether retail sellers could be brought into the distribution process to ensure that fertiliser reaches farmers at government-fixed prices. Such measures could help reduce pressure on individual dealer points, particularly when large numbers of farmers gather at the same time.
The Roumari incident comes against the backdrop of similar tensions elsewhere in Kurigram. On 23 August, farmers allegedly broke open the door of a dealer’s warehouse in Dhaldanga Bazar under Shilkhuri Union in Bhurungamari and took away 197 sacks of urea. The incident followed allegations of an artificial shortage and the sale of fertiliser at prices above the government-set rate.
The latest episode has once again highlighted the importance of orderly distribution, clear communication about available stocks and timely administrative oversight at dealer points. While officials maintain that there is no overall shortage in Roumari, the conflicting accounts of Monday’s incident show how quickly frustration can turn into disorder when farmers are left waiting without clear information about when and how fertiliser will be distributed.
