Allegations of corruption and irregularities have surfaced at the Cumilla Rice Research Institute, where a modern rice harvester has reportedly been left unused under the open sky for a year. Despite having access to advanced machinery, the institute has been hiring laborers at inflated wages to harvest rice, leading to significant financial losses for the government. Reports also claim that a large portion of the rice produced at the institute is being divided among officers and employees instead of being used for research purposes.
A field visit to the Shashongacha area of Cumilla Sadar Upazila revealed that workers from Thakurgaon were harvesting rice manually, earning Tk 900–1,000 per day, which exceeds the local market rate. Sources indicated that this practice has caused unnecessary expenditure of public funds. Additionally, the institute’s harvester remains idle despite its potential to harvest large areas efficiently.
Farm manager Zahidul Haque Shamim stated that the institute’s harvester has been out of order for about a year, forcing them to rely on manual labor. He added that waterlogged fields have further complicated the use of machinery.
মো. শাহ্ আলম শফি, কুমিল্লা (দক্ষিণ) প্রকাশ : ০৯ জুন ২০২৬, ১১: ৩২আপডেট : ০৯ জুন ২০২৬, ১১: ৩৫ কুমিল্লা ধান গবেষণা ইনস্টিটিউটে নানা অনিয়ম ও দুর্নীতি চলছে বলে অভিযোগ উঠেছে। দীর্ঘ এক বছর ধরে আধুনিক ধান কাটার যন্ত্রটি পরিত্যক্ত খোলা আকাশের নিচে পড়ে রয়েছে ।
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