The government will cancel the licences of newly appointed fertiliser dealers if they are found involved in irregularities, overcharging or harassing farmers, as it moves to tighten monitoring of fertiliser distribution ahead of the upcoming Rabi season.
Agriculture Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid issued the warning at a meeting with deputy commissioners and deputy directors of the Department of Agricultural Extension at the Secretariat on Monday.
He also warned that government officials found involved in irregularities in fertiliser management would face departmental action.
The minister stressed ensuring transparency and accountability in the distribution system, saying dealer licences and their designated areas must be determined based on farmland, the number of farmers and cropping intensity.
Dealers must sell fertiliser at government-fixed prices and display price lists and stock information prominently at their shops, he said.
He also directed the authorities to conduct regular drives and mobile court operations against artificial shortages, overpricing, hoarding and illegal cross-border smuggling of fertiliser.
The minister said the government had increased fertiliser allocations and supplies for the upcoming Rabi season, claiming that this year’s supply was higher than demand compared with previous years.
Even so, the government was prepared to meet any additional demand if cultivation expanded, he said.
He called for tighter surveillance in border districts, warning that fertiliser could be smuggled out of Bangladesh because of higher demand and prices for some non-urea fertilisers in neighbouring countries. Urea could also be smuggled out if shortages persisted across the border.
“Under no circumstances should fertiliser meant for domestic farmers be allowed to leave the country,” he said.
The minister said the government provides substantial subsidies on fertiliser, and the benefits must reach genuine farmers rather than traders or smugglers.
He pointed to reports of fertiliser shortages in some areas despite large stocks in warehouses, saying such discrepancies raised concerns about artificial shortages and possible hoarding.
Deputy commissioners would be held accountable if irregularities occurred in fertiliser management in their respective districts, he added.
To prevent diversion of subsidised fertiliser, the minister directed officials to use farmer cards and verified farmer lists to ensure fair distribution among genuine cultivators.
He also instructed district fertiliser monitoring committees to meet regularly and monitor the use of urea as an industrial raw material.
If textile and dyeing factories are found using urea, the authorities must take prompt action against them, he said.