Fake fertiliser factory sealed in Naogaon, one jailed

A mobile court has fined the owner of an illegal fertiliser and pesticide factory Tk 200,000 and sentenced one person to one month in jail in Mahadevpur upazila of Naogaon.

The raid was conducted at a factory named SD Agrovet on Saturday following information provided by the National Security Intelligence (NSI).

According to sources involved in the operation, the factory had allegedly been producing substandard organic fertiliser and counterfeit pesticides at a house for a long time.

The factory owner, identified as Shahinur, fled after sensing the presence of the authorities. In his absence, the mobile court fined him Tk 200,000.

His younger brother, Delwar Hossain, was detained for allegedly assisting in the illegal activities and later sentenced to one month of imprisonment without labour.

The factory was subsequently sealed. Several tonnes of counterfeit fertiliser and pesticides, along with equipment and chemicals used in production, were seized during the operation.

Assistant Commissioner (Land) Jannatul Naim Binte Aziz said the production and marketing of adulterated agricultural inputs threatened farmers' livelihoods, agricultural production, food security and the environment.

She added that regular monitoring would continue to prevent the illegal production, storage and marketing of fertilisers and pesticides.

sks