Staff Reporter :
Allegations of illegal fertiliser imports and mismanagement have emerged involving Dr. Nurun Nahar Chowdhury, Chief Additional Secretary for Fertiliser Management, and his alleged syndicate.
Reports suggest that this group has shifted allegiance to the current administration, exploiting farmers in the process.
It has been claimed that the syndicate supplied fertilisers to the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) research institute’s personnel, who participated in the Awami League’s “Peace March” on August 4.
This group is described as notoriously corrupt, reportedly changing their tactics whenever the political landscape shifts. Despite knowing about the entry of low-quality fertilisers into warehouses, BADC authorities have remained silent.
With the Boro season approaching, transport contractors are allegedly drying compost and repackaging it into new sacks for storage in BADC warehouses.
This practice threatens to defraud marginal farmers, who may purchase fertilisers that have deteriorated in quality. Year after year, officials in this vital agricultural sector have shown indifference to the issue. Investigations have uncovered that throughout the year, locations in Jessore, Nawapara, Khulna No. 7 Ghat, Muktarpur, and Ashuganj Ghat have seen fertilisers left exposed to the elements. In the wake of last year’s dollar crisis, these fertilisers were acquired at inflated prices and left unprotected. Despite significant government subsidies, approximately 80,000 to 100,000 sacks of DNP fertiliser now lie deteriorating at Aman Ghat in Muktarpur, further harming farmers.
The investigation identified a company, ‘ Bango Traders’, as the transport contractor for fertilisers imported by BADC.
A visit to the site by BADC’s General Manager Azimuddin, Manager Mejbah Uddin, Movement Manager Noman Uddin, and Joint Director Kamal Uddin yielded no consequences for the contractors, despite the apparent losses.
BADC Chairman Abdullah Sajjad and the then Member Director (SAR) Abdus Samad allegedly intervened, preventing punitive measures against the responsible parties.
Regulations permit the recovery of import costs from transport contractors; however, this has not been enforced. Instead, these contractors have maintained favour with BADC officials while supplying substandard fertilisers. Reports from various districts indicate dissatisfaction among farmers and dealers regarding the quality of fertilisers supplied by BADC.
Local agriculture officials confirmed receiving complaints about the substandard products supplied from BADC’s Medda Godown. Stakeholders attribute the decline in quality to the lack of oversight by BADC officials, who are responsible for monitoring government-imported fertilisers intended to enhance the agricultural sector.
Transport contractors, including former Public Administration officer and current Additional Secretary Ziaul Haque, have reportedly maintained control over the fertiliser syndicate within the Ministry of Agriculture and BADC for the past 15 years under the Awami government. Dr. Nurun Nahar Chowdhury is said to be a key figure in this syndicate.
Additionally, Rehena Yasmin, Additional Secretary (Administration) in the Ministry of Agriculture, has been reported to utilise three government vehicles, including Dhaka Metro 15-7367 (partner project) and two from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). Drivers associated with these vehicles have been identified as Nayan, Ataur, and Shymol.
While some contractors blame BADC for the degradation of fertiliser quality, they contend that the organisation’s storage capacity, estimated at 240,000 to 250,000 metric tonnes, is far exceeded by its annual imports of 20 to 22 million metric tonnes. This overcapacity forces contractors to store fertilisers under makeshift tents outdoors, leading to further quality degradation and allegations of black market sales facilitated by some unscrupulous contractors.
As this crisis unfolds, farmers remain at the mercy of a system marred by corruption, with urgent calls for accountability and reform in the fertiliser supply chain.