Farmers block Jamalpur highway demanding fertiliser

Hundreds of farmers at Jamalpur Sadar blocked Jamalpur-Mymensingh highway on Monday, demanding fertiliser.   

The agitated farmers blocked the highway for one hour from 9am till 10am at Nandina Bazar point, bringing traffic to a standstill.     

The protesting farmers alleged that the time to use fertiliser in Aman field has already passed. But they are not getting fertiliser as per their requirement. 

M/S Haider Traders was supposed to give them fertiliser on Monday morning. The farmers started gathering from various areas since 7am. But the shop did not open even at 9am. In protest, the farmers blocked the highway.       

Meanwhile, agriculture department officials said that there is no crisis of fertiliser. 

The warehouse owner, however, claimed he had received half the amount he had requisitioned. As he saw too many farmers in front of his warehouse, he did not open his warehouse.   

Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Dilruba Yasmin said that Aman paddy has been cultivated in 31,000 hectares for which 928 tonnes of the allocated fertiliser has been received so far. The dealers have already withdrawn half of the amount. But farmers fear that they would not get fertiliser, she added. 

Farmers were agitating on the Jamalpur-Mymensingh highway at 10am when Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Litus Lawrence Chiran tried to calm them.

UNO Chiran then took the farmers to the nearby Ranagachha union parishad premises and assured the farmers of fertiliser. 

Later, traffic resumed on the highway.