13,000 tons of urea fertilizer is lying under the open sky at Baghabari port in Sirajganj. The current market value is Tk 20 crore 8 lakh (as Tk 16 thousand per ton).
The concerned people have kept the fertilizers out as there is less space than the capacity in the warehouse. Day after day, the fertilizers is falling under the open sky and it is getting frozen. The quality of these fertilizers is deteriorating due to sun, rain, light and wind. Billions of worth of fertilizer is being wasted due to lack of adequate warehouses and sheds in the port.According to sources, thousands of tonnes of urea fertilizers were sent to buffer warehouses in 16 districts of northern region during Erie-Boro season using Baghabari port in Shahjadpur upazila of Sirajganj. And 65 dealers out of 148 dealers of the district collect fertilizer from this port.
The warehouse was not built as required. Due to which thousands of tons of manure have been kept under the open sky. There are two warehouses in the port.
The port now has 28,000 tons of urea fertilizer in stock. Of these, 15,000 tons have been kept in two warehouses and the remaining 13,000 tons are under the open sky.
Port leaseholder Abdus Salam said the port has two fertilizer warehouse. The capacity of this storehouse is 15 thousand tons. For this, they have to keep manure under the open sky. Even if sheds were built in the port without warehousing, huge amount of fertilizer would not have to be kept in this way. He added that the fertilizer has been like this for about three months. Due to the transport crisis, the fertilizer has been kept like this for so long. But now about one thousand tons of fertilizer is being taken away every day.
Waheedul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Fertilizer Association (BFA) Sirajganj committee, said there are a total of 148 fertilizer dealers in the district, out of which 65 dealer collects fertilizer allotted by the government from Baghabari port. Fertilizer dealers have been kept under the open sky in Baghabari for several years now. Many times it is seen that the manure is frozen. The frozen manure is broken with a hammer and given to the dealer. Dealers are forced to take this fertilizer. But the farmers do not want to take this fertilizer for a long time due to which the dealer has to incur losses. The matter has been raised many times but nothing has been done.
Port Officer Md Asaduzzaman Emon said that two warehouses have been built long ago. The amount of fertilizer transport has increased here as compared to the past.
Due to which the fertilizers have to be kept in this way.
However, he said, the fertilizer is kept by the lessee, dealer or various institutions and it is their responsibility to take it from here. As far as I know, they did not take fertilizer due to financial crisis. We allowed it to be kept in the port area as it was not a problem for us.
They have covered the manure but I cannot say whether the quality of the manure is deteriorating.