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Fertilizer smuggling bid foiled in Bhola, 4 arrested
Published : Wednesday, 12 August, 2026 at 3:26 PM
Observer Correspondent
Locals foiled an attempt to smiggle urea fertilizer by river routes at Betua Majher Ghat in Aslampur union under Char Fasson upazila of Bhola early Wednesday.
Four personnel were detained along with a bulkhead and 293 bags of government-subsidized fertilizer.
The detainees were later handed over to Char Fasson Police Station. The incident took place at around 2:00AM.
Local sources said laborers and residents grew suspicious after noticing a bulkhead anchored near Betua river ghat late at night while loading chemical fertilizer bags from a trawler. Upon questioning, the boat driver and crew failed to produce valid documents.
Locals detained the four men on the spot along with the bulkhead. Police and upazila administration officials reached the scene in the morning.
Preliminary investigation suggested a local dealer syndicate was attempting to smuggle the fertilizer to Myanmar.
Char Fasson Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mahmud Al Farid Bhuiyan said police launched a drive based on secret information and seized the fertilizer from the Meghna River near Betua Ghat while it was being loaded from a truck into a fishing vessel. Police also seized the truck and boat.
The detainees were identified as Parvez Hossain, 37, Siraj, 57, Sohel, 28, and Shaharaj, 40.
"The detainees are being interrogated. A case under the anti-smuggling act will be filed against them before sending them to court," the OC said.
Local farmers alleged that dealers create artificial fertilizer crises during the farming season while smuggling government-subsidized fertilizer at night. They demanded exemplary punishment for the syndicate members.
Upazila administration and agriculture officials said a probe committee will be formed and a case under the Special Powers Act is being prepared.
-SF/SA
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
