Dealer punished for illegal storage of potato seeds
Over 100 sacks seized from assoc leader's possession
Authorities yesterday suspended the license of a Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) seed dealer in Rajshahi after they seized 118 sacks of 'illegal' potato seeds from his possession the previous night.
Poba upazila seed distribution and monitoring committee also asked the dealer Fazlur Rahman, general secretary of Greater Rajshahi BADC Seed Dealers Association, to show cause in 24 hours as to why punitive actions would not be taken against him.
During the raid on Tuesday evening, the committee members headed by UNO Abu Selim Mahmudul Haq accompanied by police found that 100 sacks of potato seeds, each containing 40-kg, at Fazlur Rahman's house and 18 such sacks at his shop were stored without any legal documents.
The committee immediately sealed off Fazlur's sales centre and the room of his house where the illegal seeds were found. The authorities also sealed the dealer's private seed godown as he was not present with keys during the raid.
Deputy Director (seed affairs) of BADC in Rajshahi Arif Hossain Khan, also a member of the committee, said they found seals of BADC Kushtia office on the seized sacks of seed while the concerned BADC office denied selling any seeds to Fazlur Rahman.
“The seeds were stored for black marketing or it might be adulterated. Many local farmers alleged taking higher prices than scheduled or providing adulterated seeds by the dealer. The final decision would be taken after properly examining all documents and pieces of evidence," he said.
Contacted, the dealer Fazlur Rahman said, "I have legal documents for all the seized seeds. I could not show the documents as I was outside Rajshahi when the raid was conducted. I am applying for freeing the seized seeds showing proper documents today.”
"The raid was arranged to harass me as I recently led a dealers' protest against corruptions of BADC Deputy Director Arif Hossain Khan," he said.
Contacted again, Arif Hossain Khan refuted the allegation, saying, “The raid was conducted following specific allegation from the locals.”
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