Bangladesh Farmers Protest Fertiliser Shortage: Warehouse Vandalised in Kurigram, Highway Blocked in Lalmonirhat

🌾 Kurigram, Bangladesh — Farmers in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts of northern Bangladesh protested over fertiliser delays and shortages on 6 September 2026. In Nageshwari, Kurigram, angry farmers vandalised a dealer’s warehouse fence after representatives arrived late. In Lalmonirhat, farmers blocked a highway demanding an end to the alleged “fertiliser syndicate”.

🔨 Kurigram: Warehouse Vandalised at Kachakata Bazar

📊 Local farmers said they began gathering outside Kashem Traders, a fertiliser dealer at Kachakata Bazar in Nageshwari upazila, from 7:00 am to collect fertiliser. As the dealer’s representatives had still not arrived after 8:00 am, frustration grew among the farmers waiting there. At one point, around 200 farmers had gathered.

⚠ At about 9:00 am, the farmers began shouting and protesting. Several of them then vandalised part of the warehouse’s corrugated-tin fencing. However, local farmers said no fertiliser was taken from the warehouse as others intervened.

💬 Several farmers said tensions escalated because the dealer’s representatives failed to arrive for a long time despite fertiliser being available at the warehouse. Pushing and jostling broke out among the farmers, after which some of them damaged the corrugated-tin fencing.

💬 Arpan Kumar Das, Officer-in-Charge of Kachakata police station, told Prothom Alo that the dealer had sufficient fertiliser in the warehouse. He said the farmers became angry because the dealer arrived somewhat late. During pushing and jostling among 150 to 200 people, sections of the warehouse’s corrugated-tin fencing were damaged.

🔹 Police later arrived, brought the situation under control and distributed the fertiliser. The situation is now normal, he added.

🛣 Bhurungamari Road Blockade

🚧 Meanwhile, farmers blocked a road at Milan Bazar in Baladia Union of Bhurungamari upazila after failing to obtain fertiliser. Traffic on the road was halted for some time. Police went to the scene after being informed.

🤝 Later, Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Aminul Haque Tareque arrived at the scene and spoke with the farmers, after which the situation returned to normal.

💬 Aminul Haque Tareque told Prothom Alo that farmers from surrounding areas had gathered after hearing that fertiliser would be distributed from a warehouse at Milan Bazar. This brought traffic on the road to a standstill. The warehouse had 20 tonnes of fertiliser, but distribution was not possible that day because of the large number of farmers. An additional supply of fertiliser would be brought in the following day and distributed together, he said.

🚧 Lalmonirhat Highway Blockade

🛣 Angry farmers blocked a highway in Lalmonirhat by placing tree trunks on the road, demanding an adequate supply of fertiliser and an end to the alleged “fertiliser syndicate”.

⏱ The blockade was staged at around 11:00 am on 6 September 2026 in the Mahendranagar Bazar area of Lalmonirhat Sadar on the Lalmonirhat–Patgram–Burimari highway. Traffic on the highway remained halted for around an hour.

🤝 The protesting farmers later withdrew the blockade following intervention by the district administration and assurances that fertiliser supplies would be ensured.

💬 The protesting farmers alleged that they had been unable to apply fertiliser to their fields on time during the ongoing Aman cultivation season because they had not received adequate supplies according to demand. They also said they were forced to take to the national highway to demand a regular supply of fertiliser and an end to the artificial shortage or alleged syndicate surrounding its distribution.

🏛 Senior Officials Intervene

📊 Upon receiving the news, senior officials quickly arrived at the scene:

• 🏛 Md Rashedul Haque Pradhan, Deputy Commissioner, Lalmonirhat
• 👮 Md Asaduzzaman, Superintendent of Police, Lalmonirhat
• 👥 Mononita Das, Upazila Nirbahi Officer
• 🏛 Md Abdul Majid Mondal, Mahendranagar Union Parishad Chairman

🤝 They assured the farmers that positive steps would be taken to address their demands, following which the protesters left the road.

💬 Addressing the farmers, Deputy Commissioner Md Rashedul Haque Pradhan said there was essentially no shortage of fertiliser in Lalmonirhat district. He said a misunderstanding had temporarily arisen after a large number of farmers from Lalmonirhat Sadar gathered at Mahendranagar upon hearing that fertiliser was being distributed in a union in Hatibandha.

📊 He added that if any specific allegation of an artificial fertiliser shortage was received, the authorities would investigate it and take immediate and strict administrative action.

🌏 Strategic Context: Bangladesh Fertiliser Crisis

🌾 The Kurigram and Lalmonirhat protests are the latest in a series of fertiliser-related farmer unrest across Bangladesh. The country’s agriculture sector depends on timely fertiliser supply for the Aman (monsoon rice) season, which runs from July to December. Any disruption in fertiliser availability at critical growth stages can significantly reduce yields.

📊 For Bangladesh’s agriculture sector, the recurring fertiliser crises reflect several structural issues:

• 📋 Distribution bottlenecks — last-mile delivery from dealers to farmers is unreliable
• 👥 Dealer capacity — many dealers lack staff to manage large crowds during peak demand
• 💰 Price differential — subsidised government fertiliser cheaper than open market, creating demand spikes
• 🤝 Syndicate allegations — alleged hoarding by distributors to inflate prices
• 📊 Import dependency — Bangladesh imports significant quantities of fertiliser from Canada, China, Middle East

⚠ For policymakers, the recurring protests underscore the urgent need for:

• 💰 Direct farmer subsidy — cash transfers to farmers instead of subsidising through dealers
• 💻 Digital distribution system — farmer registration with SMS-based allocation
• 👥 Dealer accountability — strict monitoring and revocation of licences for hoarding
• 📊 Buffer stocks — district-level reserves to absorb supply shocks
• 📱 Real-time monitoring — digital tracking of fertiliser stocks at all dealer points

✅ For Bangladesh’s food security, ensuring adequate fertiliser supply is essential to maintain the Aman rice harvest — which together with Boro rice constitutes the country’s staple food supply. With the country already facing a paddy price crash in Naogaon, any fertiliser-induced yield reduction in Aman could compound farmer distress and undermine rural economic stability. The coming weeks will be critical for both fertiliser supply and farmer welfare — with the protests in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat serving as a stark warning that administrative inaction can quickly escalate into social unrest in the country’s farm belt.