Tk 10cr low quality fertiliser seized in Jessore

30 January 2009, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Khulna

Police have seized 2,575 tonnes of substandard TSP fertiliser worth over Tk 10 crore from Noapara Tablig ghat under Abhoynagar upazila of Jessore. According to Khairul Islam, deputy director of Jessore zonal office of the agriculture department, Messers Desh Trading owned by Shafiuddin of Noapara imported the fertiliser from China. Three cargo vessels-- MV AL AKSA-2, MV Tajnov and MV Nirjhar-- reached Noapara Tablig Ghat at 5:30pm on Wednesday night carrying the fertiliser from Chittagong via Mongla. Acting on information received from agriculture Jessore zonal office, Police rushed to Tablig ghat and seized 51,500 bags containing the substandard fertiliser soon after the cargo vessels anchored there. The zonal office had earlier received the information from the deputy director of Chittagong agriculture office. The seized TSP fertiliser does not contain 46 percent phosphorus and 18 percent sulphur as required for using in the cultivation, Abhoynagar upazila agriculture officer Anwar Hossain, quoting a faxed message received from the office of Chittagong agriculture office, said. Samples of the fertiliser have been sent to Dhaka for Chemical test, Anwar said. Sub-Inspector Hashemuzzaman who is investigating the case recorded with the Abhoynagar Police Station told this correspondent that only 427 bags of fertiliser were unloaded from one of the three cargo vessels as of 4:30 pm yesterday. The godown owned by the importer Md Shafiuddin will be sealed off after the seized fertiliser bags are kept there, he said. Meanwhile, deputy director Khairul Islam of Jessore agriculture office has issued an official order, banning sale of the substandard TSP fertiliser.