Farmers in several unions of Pirganj upazila in Rangpur are facing difficulties obtaining urea fertiliser, as local fertiliser shops are unable to meet demand. Many farmers have moved from shop to shop before joining lengthy queues at dealer points, where some wait for hours and receive only one sack each.

Long lines were observed at Messrs Tripti Traders, a dealer in No. 7 Bara Alampur union, and Saha Bhandar in No. 12 Mithipur union. Farmer Abdul Karim said he had waited for four hours without receiving fertiliser. Farmer Rabiul Prodhan said his land requires four sacks but he received one, warning that inadequate supply could harm cropland.

Locals alleged that Tripti Traders owner Tojammel Haque Dulu supplied fertiliser to his nephew Manik’s shop for sale at higher prices; Dulu denied the allegation. Upazila Agriculture Officer Suman Ahmed said Pirganj has 490 tonnes of urea in stock, with another 353 tonnes allocated this month and being collected. Authorities have also permitted next month’s allocation to be collected this month and are working to prevent a fertiliser syndicate.