Huge fertilisers on trucks under open sky

Fifty trucks loaded with about 2,000 tonnes of fertilisers have been standing under the open sky in front the 'buffer godown' at Mahendranagar in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila for the last 10 days, as the items cannot be unloaded due to lack of space in the godown.

Over a hundred drivers and helpers of these trucks coming from Khulna, Kushtia and Chittagong demonstrated yesterday noon demanding steps to release them after unloading the fertilisers.

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"We are waiting in front the buffer godown with the fertiliser-loaded trucks while the truck owners are insisting us to return soon. We will not get extra fare from the contractor for the delay. We may even face job termination," said Nur Alam, a truck driver from Kushtia.

Over a hundred labourers engaged in loading and unloading goods at Mahendranagar buffer godown are passing their days without work amid hardship as the godown authorities have stopped loading and unloading fertilisers from the trucks for the last 10 days, showing the cause of space shortage in the godown.

Photo: Star

Hanif Miah, executive engineer of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), also in-charge of Mahendranagar buffer godown, said, "We have already stored 24,497 tonnes of urea fertiliser against the godown's capacity of 9,000 tonnes meant for BCIC. There is no scope to store any more fertiliser here."

Aminul Islam, deputy assistant director of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) working at the buffer godown, said they have already stored 6,500 tonnes of different fertilisers including potash, DAP and MoP against the capacity 3,000 tonnes meant for BADC in the godown.

"We can't unload fertilisers from the trucks due to lack of space in the godown. The higher authorities concerned of BADC have told the contractor to return these fertiliser-loaded trucks," he said.