Farmers in Natore, Meherpur and Lalmonirhat took to the streets on Sunday accusing syndicates of fertiliser shortage.
In Natore, hundreds of farmers besieged Naldanga Upazila Parishad, blocked roads and marched in protest, bringing traffic on the Natore–Naogaon regional highway to a standstill.
The first protest began around 11am, when farmers blocked the Naldanga–Natore road, demanding immediate distribution of fertiliser. The blockade caused long tailbacks and severe traffic congestion in the area.
By 2:30pm, the agitation had spread to Madhnagar, where another group of farmers took to the streets.
Farmers said dealers had promised to distribute fertiliser on Sunday, but none had opened their stores. Many complained that they have been unable to buy fertiliser for days despite repeated visits to markets and sales points.
“We are not getting fertiliser when we need it. If this continues, we will not be able to cultivate our land. Yields will fall sharply,” one protesting farmer said.
Others alleged that a syndicate is manipulating supply, forcing them to buy fertiliser at Tk600–700 above the government-set price per bag.
“We are barely managing to cultivate our fields. The government must act immediately against the syndicate,” a farmer added.
Naldanga Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md AL Emran Khan, Upazila Agriculture Officer Kishoar Hossen, and police rushed to the spot to restore order and assured protesters that steps would be taken.
The crisis had already sparked unrest earlier, when Madhnagar farmers held a human chain and protest rally on Thursday demanding an end to the fertiliser shortage and alleged manipulation in the supply chain.
Farmers fear that unless the bottleneck is resolved urgently, winter crop production will suffer, threatening livelihoods and food security across the region.
A similar crisis unfolded as protesters in Meherpur Sadar Kutubpur Union and Natore’s Naldanga Upazila accused syndicates creating an artificial crisis and selling fertiliser at inflated prices.
Farmers gathered in front of the Sadar Upazila Agriculture Office in Meherpur, demanding immediate government intervention to restore fair supply and curb the alleged syndicate controlling fertiliser distribution.
Ripon Sarkar, one of the protesting farmers, said Limon Traders, a Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation dealer, had not supplied fertiliser to farmers for the past three months.
“They are running a syndicate and selling fertiliser secretly at higher rates. Genuine farmers cannot buy at the government price and are facing huge losses,” he said.
Another farmer, Rafiqul Islam, warned that failure to supply fertiliser during the crucial Rabi season, which runs from mid-September to mid-March, would severely affect crop production.
Farmer Firoz Hossain alleged that fertiliser was available only if buyers paid Tk600 to Tk800 above the regular price. “Without paying extra, it is almost impossible to get fertiliser,” he said.
Farmers have already lodged verbal complaints with the Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer.
Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khairul Islam confirmed that the administration had received verbal complaints.
“We have been informed and will take necessary action after an investigation,” he said.
Farmers fear that unless the crisis is addressed immediately, crop losses and rising production costs will deepen their vulnerability during the season.
In a similar incident on Sunday, farmers blocked in Lalmonirhat-Burimari highway demanding enough of fertiliser. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shamim Miah and Sindurna Union Parishad Chairman Arifur Islam, accompanied by law enforcement personnel, rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control after three hours.
Meanwhile, a probe is underway after farmers stormed in a fertiliser warehouse in Nilphamari’s Domar Upazila last Thursday and looted sacks amid severe supply crises.
