Kaladan News

Date: Thursday, July 15, 2004

Bangladeshi farmers Facing Scarcity of Fertilizer for Smuggling to Burma

Teknaf, July 15: Bangladeshi farmers, especially Bangladesh-Burma border areas are  facing scarcity of urea fertilizer for smuggling to Burma, according to our correspondent.

Burma depends on the fertilizer of Bangladesh because of the rate of the fertilizer is very high in Burma. So, the smugglers of border areas, hoping to get high price in Burma, they smuggled fertilizer to Burma at night after bribing Taka 20 per bag to BDR (Bangladesh Rifles), he further added.

On last June 2004, about 280 bags of Urea fertilizer were seized by BDR while en- route to Burma through Hoikong and Nhila points by jeeps and taxi, according to local Bengali newspaper.

Similarly, on July 1, 2004, on information, one Sofador Mostifizur Rhaman of Hoikong Border Out Post  (B.O.P) camp seized a jeep, loaded with Urea fertilizer and other goods while on the way to Burma through Hoikong border point and handed over to the customs, the Daily Ajker Desh Bidesh reported.

According to sources, this is nothing but for showing documents that they are trying to stop smugglings. Through Nhila, Hoikong, Zimin Khali, Karan Khali, Hoikong Naya Bazar, Balo Khali border points, BDR earning so many Taka by taking bribes from smugglers.  Smugglers have to pay Tk. 3,000 to 4,000 to BDR and Tk.2, 000 to 3,000 to customs according to their volume of goods per night, said a shopkeeper from Hoikong.

Daily, about 600 bags of fertilizer have been smuggled to Burma through Balo Khali border point by jeeps, taxi and rickshaws from Ukiya under Cox’s Bazar district. The dealers of the Ukiya bought it from Chittagong, carried to Ukiya, stored in their warehouses and then delivered to their customers, the Daily Cox’s Bazar said.

Though fertilizer, kerosene, diesel, petrol, edible oil, medicine, clothes have been smuggled daily to Burma, the concerned border security forces take no attention concerning this matter, paper further added.

 Smugglers select the land route for smuggling to Burma, as their previous water route is danger in rainy season and frequent checks by Bangladeshi Coast Guards.

Last year, 68 dealers were permitted to sell fertilizer, but this year only 39 dealers were permitted, consisting of 19 are old dealers and 20 are new. Though the fewer dealers are allowed this year, the smuggling of fertilizer to Burma is increased day by day across the 45-kilometer length of Naf River, even though eleven BDR Chek-Posts are in existence throughout the border belt, said in the Daily Cox’s Bazar.

The local farmers are facing scarcity of fertilizer in Teknaf and other border areas. As a result, the local farmers cannot able to produce enough vegetables and other kinds of fruits to meet the local demand, said a farmer from Teknaf.

There are six fertilizer-producing factories in Bangladesh and they managed to meet the domestic demand. However, since there is a big fertilizer smuggling trade booming in Burma, fertilizer is short of supply not only in the border regions, but also in the whole of Bangladesh.  

Regarding this, local farmers requested the concerned authorities to look this matters deeply.##

For more information, please contact at:

Phone: (+880) 11 227 138

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.kaladanpress.org