Farmers Face Fertilizer Shortages as Supplies Are Smuggled Into Myanmar; Three Arrested, Including BNP and JCD Leaders

❐ Staff correspondent

The fertilizer crisis has disrupted agricultural production in the country. Fertilizer factories are closed due to the fuel crisis. As a result, they have to import at high prices. Farmers are losing everything by buying fertilizer at high prices. In the meantime, there is illegal stockpiling of fertilizer and tons of fertilizer is being smuggled to Myanmar. Now, news has come that a syndicate of BNP and Chhatra Dal leaders involved in this smuggling ring has been arrested.

Police have arrested three people associated with BNP and Chhatra Dal politics in Mirsarai, Chittagong, on charges of a sensational attempt to smuggle fertilizer to Myanmar using the coastal route. They were detained during a raid in different areas of Ochmanpur Union of the upazila.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Zorarganj Police Station Mohammad Abdul Halim confirmed the arrest in a press release on Monday afternoon, November 9.

Those arrested are former joint convener of Ochmanpur Union BNP Mohsin Samrat (57), his son Azahar Uddin Mahin (22) and former convener of Ochmanpur Union Chhatra Dal Farabi Hossain (26).

According to police and local sources, a powerful gang was illegally smuggling fertilizer to Myanmar using the vast coastal area of ​​Mirsarai and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial Park (Special Economic Zone). Based on a tip-off, the police conducted a raid on October 31 and seized 301 sacks of fertilizer stored for smuggling and detained some people for preliminary interrogation.

After recovering the fertilizer, the investigation team thoroughly reviewed the information provided by the detainees and the call records of their mobile phones. It was found that several local political leaders and activists are directly and indirectly involved in this international trafficking ring. Based on the investigation, the police also searched the office of Shawkat Akbar Sohag, joint convener of Chittagong North District Jubo Dal.

Jorarganj Police Station OC Abdul Halim said that the names of Mahe Alam Member and his brother Nur Uddin from Subarnachar area of ​​Noakhali have come up in the initial investigation. According to the police, they had made contact and financial transactions with these local political figures to help transport fertilizer.

Law enforcement agencies claim that a specific plan was made to smuggle the fertilizers from the Mirsarai Economic Zone to Myanmar via the Bay of Bengal using the waterway adjacent to the Muhuri Project embankment. A few identified individuals from the area were involved in this operation to exploit the local geographical advantage.

In continuation of this, on Sunday morning, Zorarganj Police Station conducted a special operation in the Ochmanpur area and arrested Mohsin Samrat, his son Azahar Uddin Mahin and Chhatra Dal leader Farabi Hossain.
Meanwhile, as part of the investigation, a person named Badshah was brought for questioning from the office of Jubo Dal leader Shawkat Akbar Sohag, but he was released on bond as his direct involvement in the fertilizer smuggling was not found.

The police said that the three arrested people have already been handed over to the learned court.

OC Mohammad Abdul Halim said that a thorough investigation is being conducted to determine whether any other influential person or international group is behind this fertilizer smuggling syndicate. However, these allegations against the accused are still subject to final proof in court.