Renewed fertiliser scam shake BADC
Staff Reporter :
There is a renewed fear of fertilizer scams with the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC).
According to the findings of an investigation, three transport contractor companies have not been able to deliver fertilizer worth thousands of crores of taka to BADC even in a year.
It has been alleged that two former influential officials of BADC themselves are behind these irregularities and corruption.
The investigation also revealed that BADC officially imported non-urea fertilizer a year ago. Several companies are responsible for transporting these fertilizers from the port to BADC warehouses.
There is a rule that these fertilizers should reach the warehouse within 60 days. But not even the stipulated timeframe, three companies have not been able to deliver these fertilizers to BADC completely in 12 months long.
These three major companies are Banga Traders, Pacific Consumer Goods and Swadesh Shipping.
In the meantime, BADC has also written to Banga Traders to deliver the fertilizer. Pacific and Swadesh Traders are also being pressured.
Earlier on November 18, 24, after reviewing a complaint filed by Md. Mokhlesur Rahman on behalf of the Anti-Corruption and Anti-discrimination Employees, this reports found that these undelivered fertilizers are still lying under the open sky.
These are burning in the sun and getting wet in the rain. So a question has been also arisen about the quality.
There is a rule to deliver the goods according to the lot.
There are allegations that transport companies are mixing the fertilizer of one lot with the fertilizer of another lot and delivering it. Incidents of looting are also happening in this way.
If the fertilizer was delivered according to the lot, then these scams would not have happened.
The Rabi season is from November 15 to December 20. Investigations revealed that there is no fertilizer in North Bengal.
In such a situation, the marginal farmers of the country are not getting fertilizer even at high prices.
If the fertilizer crisis is not resolved or if fertilizer is not received on time, the country’s agricultural sector will face huge losses.
If this situation continues, the country’s agricultural production will be disrupted due to the fertilizer crisis in the upcoming Boro season and the country will face an extreme food crisis.
Overcoming this problem is an extreme challenge for the current government.
Below are the details of tender calls and cancellations. Regarding tenders in the private sector for the financial year 2024-2025:
S/N-1 Date of invitation of tender (11/06/2024) Date of work order (08/07/2024), S/N-2 Date of invitation of tender (27/07/2024) Date of work order (13/08/2024 ), S/N-3 Date of invitation of tender (13/08/2024) Date of work order (Cancelled), S/N-4 Date of invitation of tender (08/09/2024) Date of work order (06/10/2024), S/N-5 Date of invitation of tender (04/11/2024) Date of work order (nil…. )
In order to deal with the crisis created by some evil syndicates, the country’s reputable contractors are no longer participating in the tenders due to fear of danger. Therefore, the country is going to face a fertilizer crisis.
Recently agriculture Secretary Dr. Emdad Ullah Mian has said in a reputed daily that there would be no shortage of fertilizer till December. But now he is asking various contractors to solve this shortage created by the syndicate.
As time has passed, no one is paying attention to the crisis and risks.
It is known that a powerful syndicate are behind the scandal that is out of reach and reckless.
Allegations have been made against several persons, including two former BADC officials.
A former director member Abdus Samad and former chairman Abdullah Sajjad who gave work to these inefficient and bank guarantee companies.
They also abolished the rules of getting fertilizer according to the lot.