Tensions boiled over in northern Bangladesh on Wednesday morning as frustrated farmers forced their way into a commercial warehouse in Char Rajibpur, Kurigram district, snatching sacks of urea fertilizer following allegations of systemic distribution irregularities.
The incident unfolded at ‘Sofi Enterprise’, an authorized dealership outlet situated in the busy Rajibpur market. Hundreds of cultivators from Ward Nos. 2, 3, and 4 had gathered outside the premises from the early hours of the morning, expecting a standard distribution exercise. However, patience turned into outrage when it emerged that the dealer, Sofi Alam—a former vice-president and current convening committee member of the local Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)—was issuing collection slips from his private residence rather than the official outlet.
As individuals bearing home-issued slips began claiming sacks, queued farmers feared they would be left empty-handed despite waiting for hours. Driven by the anxiety of facing a crop failure during the critical Aman rice cultivation season, the crowd breached the warehouse and carried off numerous fertilizer bags.
Local shopkeepers confirmed the chaotic scene, noting that the crowd surged after realizing the distribution process was being handled arbitrarily off-site. Alam later acknowledged that 500 bags of urea were scheduled for delivery, but claimed the overwhelming crowd prompted him to issue slips from home. He denied intentional wrongdoing, blaming “third-party provocation” by political rivals for inciting the raid, though he conceded that several sacks were taken without payment.
In contrast, local authorities attempted to downplay the severity of the breach. Sayekul Hasan Khan, the acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), along with Rajibpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shahinur Alam, maintained that security forces intervened promptly to prevent a total loot of the warehouse, insisting that distribution was eventually restored under administrative oversight. Unconvinced by these assurances, dozens of farmers marched to the Upazila administration complex shortly after noon, demanding the immediate cancellation of the dealer’s license and formal prosecution.
This clash is far from an isolated event. Over recent weeks, Kurigram district has witnessed recurring farmer unrest, including similar warehouse breaches in Bhurungamari and Roumari upazilas, alongside protests in Nageshwari. While local agricultural departments maintain that seasonal supply allocations—supplemented by an additional 500 tonnes of urea this September—are entirely sufficient, localized mismanagement, favoritism, and black-market anxieties continue to trigger widespread discontent across the region.
