AL men lock, magistrate unlocks BAFA godown in Lalmonirhat

Lalmonirhat Correspondent :
As ruling party AL men locked the key of Bangladesh Agricultural Fertiliser Association BAFA godown, the Lalmonirhat Additional District Magistrate ADM Rezaul Alam Sarker unlocked the key of the godown to ensure the fertilizer supplying at Mahendranagar village in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila on Saturday noon.
A group of local AL men led by Aminul Islam Khan locked the key of the godown over
contracting labourers handling in the godown on Thursday morning, resulting the fertilizers supplying was stopped till Saturday noon.
The day labourers working for loading and unloading fertilizers in the godown were obstructed by local AL leader Aminul Islam Khan’s group.
Aminul Islam Khan leading the agitated AL men also obstructed fertilizers loaded trucks to the godown on the road yesterday noon and they were chased by police on the road. Additional police were deployed on the spot to resist any kind of unexpected situation, said Lalmonirhat Sadar Thana OC Mahfuzur Rahman.
Buffer godown officials sources said, Golam Rabbani Farhad, the owner of local contractor firm Farhad Traders got the contract of labourer handling Ashuganj Fertiliser Factory in B’baria on 20 August but the AL leader Aminul Islam Khan’s firm Khan Traders failed to get the contract due to lack of necessary documents. After getting the contract, Farhad Traders’ men came in the godown on 21 August morning, but they were chased by Aminul and his men, and they also locked the key of the godown.
Labourers working in the godown said, 50 labourers work for loading and unloading fertilizer in the godwon and they earn Tk 20 for unloading one metric tonnes of fertliser and Tk 7 for loading one metric tonnes fertiliser from the contractor and contractor earns Tk 8 to 10 against carrying each metrict tones of fertilizer.
The president of loading-unloading labourers in the BAFA godown Maminul Islam Babu said, “We didn’t go to the godown for loading and unloading fertiliser due to AL leader Aminul and his men guarded the godown holding sharp weapons in their hands since Thursday morning to yesterday Saturday noon.”
The owner of Farhad Traders’ Golam Rabbani Farhad said, he gets the contract work for handling labourers in Lalmonirhat BAFA godown in legal way.
However the alleged AL leader Aminul Islam Khan declined talking with the journalists regarding the matter.
No case or complaint from any corner was lodged with the police station till this reporting yesterday noon, OC said.

Lightning kills farmer in Faridpur
 Faridpur Correspondent
A farmer working in crop field in Bhanga upazilla of the district died as he was struck by lightning on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Johor Ali Sheikh, 28, son of Sohrab Ali sheikh of village Pollibera under Kawlibera Union.
According to hospital sources, lightning struck the farmer while he was transplanting Aman paddy seedling in the field. He received serious injuries.
He was taken to Bhanga upazilla hospital where the doctor pronounced him dead.