COX'S BAZAR, July 1: Stockists in the district are earning crores of taka by stocking paddy and rice illegally through forming syndicate.
In this connection, they are creating artificial crisis of rice by storing paddy and rice at different rice mills and shops.
By increasing the price of rice in phases, they have earned about Tk 20 crore in the last two months.
By manipulating the rice market, some traders are becoming rich.
Meanwhile, following the order of the higher authority, the Food Department and the intelligence agencies are working to detect the rice mills and shops where the rice is being stocked.
Sources said, though a total of 47 auto rice mills have licence from the Food Department, more than hundred big and small rice mills are running illegally.
The similar situation is prevailing in shops also. Hundreds of shops without licence have formed rice stocks at the shops and are storing rice there.
Some dishonest traders have held the customers hostage by stocking rice through forming illegal syndicates. But, for mysterious reasons, the Food Department does not take steps against these syndicates.
Not only against the illegal stockists, the Food Department is not taking any steps against illegal auto rice mills and rice shops of the district. As a result, they are doing illegal business without any barrier from the competent authority.
Sources said, though ample rice was produced in Cox's Bazar during Aman and Boro seasons, the owners of auto rice mills did not sell rice to the government on the pretext of failing to get fair price of rice. With this unsold rice, stocks have been formed in the store of many auto rice mills.
The sources further said, illegal stocks of paddy and rice have been formed in more than hundred rice mills including Doyel Auto Rice Mill, Janata Rice Mill, Bahar Rice Mill, and Farazi Rice Mill in Cox's Bazar Sadar upazila, Sonali Auto Rice Mill, Al Madina Rice Mill and Chakori Rice Mill in Chakaria upazila, Hajji Auto Rice Mill, Foyezia Rice Mill, Islamia Rice Mill, Kauarkhop Rice Mill, Al-Amin Rice Mill, Ma-Moni Rice Mill, Bhai Bhai Rice Mill, Nurul Alam Rice Mill, Altaz Mia Rice Mill, Rashid Rice Mill and Sikder Rice Mill in Ramu upazila, Chhoy Tara Rice Mill, Tomiz Rice Mill, Syed Rice Mill, Sadia Rice Mill, Bayezid Rice Mill, Diamond Rice Mill, Madina Rice Mill, Golden Rice Mill, Bismillah Rice Mill and SK Rice Mill in Ukhia upazila.
Of the stocked items, these rice mills have stored more paddy than rice. Paddy does not get damaged though it is stored for around a year. The mills crush paddy and sell the rice steadily.
Besides these mills, rice has been stocked in several hundred stores across the district. Of the upazilas, rice has been stored in Chakaria, Ramu, Ukhia and Cox's Bazar Sadar upazilas.
According to sources, several thousand metric tons of rice have been stocked in more than 50 rice stores in Cox's Bazar town.
Some traders- Milon Das, Samir Dey, Kajal Pal, Anil Das, Amar Talukder, Newton Pal, Bulbul, Haradhan Das, Arun Kanti Dey and Jasim of Chal Bazar, Amir Hamza and Biswajit of Alirjahal, Mujib and Salam of Sadar Upazila Gate, Amin of Link Road, and Pulak Das of Kalatali areas in the town have formed the rice stocks.
By manipulating the rice crisis across the country, these traders have earned crores of taka. In the last two or three months, the price of per bag rice has increased up to Tk 100 to 500.
Following the allegations of illegal price hike, the district Food Department and the intelligence agencies have started investigation.
When contacted, President of Chal Bazar Shop Owners' Association Jasim Uddin said, "There is no chance of stocking rice in Cox's Bazar. We sell rice daily after collecting it from different sources. We have no mills to store rice. Besides, we have permission to store 300 tonnes of rice in each stock.
But, we could not store half of the permitted rice. Due to price hike of rice, we are not getting rice on credit. As a result, it has become hard to store rice by purchasing it in cash."
While asked about storing of rice by auto rice mills, proprietor of Janata Auto Rice Mill in Cox's Bazar Sadar Nurul Akhter said, "There is not enough rice at local rice mills. The trading stations of North Bengal store the rice."
While asked about the administrative steps in this connection, he said, "The intelligence agencies wanted to know about the rice stocks to me, and I gave them a pragmatic report. I have heard that they have inquired other mills in this connection."
District Food Controller SM Tahsinul Haque said, "We have got orders from higher authority to investigate the rice stock.
The Food Department is working in this connection. Besides, different government agencies are also investigating into the matter."
Admitting that there are more than hundred illegal rice mills and rice stocks across the district, he informed that they would take steps in this connection soon.
