Photo: BSS

JHENAIDAH, Dec 4, 2025 (BSS) - An army team has seized a large stock of illegally hoarded fertilizer during separate raids from two secret warehouses in Shailkupa upazila of the district.

According to officials, the raid began around 2 pm on Thursday, with members of the Upazila Agriculture Department and Shailkupa Thana Police accompanying the army team. A total of 240 bags of DAP fertilizer and 110 bags of TSP fertilizer were seized during the first phase of the operation.

Police said the raid targeted the business establishment and warehouse of Noman Parvez, president of the BCIC Fertilizer Dealers Association in Shailkupa. Parvez reportedly fled the scene, leaving his warehouse and sales center locked.

Agriculture Department officials suspect the fertilizers were being stockpiled to artificially create a market shortage and sell them at inflated prices. 

Acting on further intelligence, the army raided M/S Jim Traders on Shailkupa Pilot High School Road, where 165 bags of DAP fertilizer were seized. The business owner, Sirajul Islam, was fined Taka 20,000 on the spot.

In a separate raid, the army recovered an additional 110 bags of TSP and 75 bags of DAP fertilizer from another locked secret godown in the Pilot School Market area.

Upazila Agricultural Extension Officer Abhijit Ghosh confirmed the operations, saying that certain traders have been illegally hoarding fertilizer to manipulate supply. 

"We have information that unscrupulous traders are trying to create an artificial crisis by illegally stockpiling fertilizer. The operation will continue to stop such activities," he said, adding that the recovered fertilizer will be redistributed among farmers.