Selection of fertilizer dealers across Jashore district has been dominated by extreme partisan favoritism, irregularities, and alleged corruption, with the majority of appointments going to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders, workers, and their family members rather than experienced traders. Out of 98 dealers approved, 65 are BNP-linked individuals or their relatives, including elderly mothers and wives of local leaders.
Non-existent or paper-only businesses have also received approvals, in clear violation of official guidelines that prioritize applicants already engaged in the fertilizer trade.
The Jashore cases illustrate how political affiliation has repeatedly trumped published eligibility rules in dealer selection. Anti-corruption groups argue that without independent audits, cancellation of ineligible appointments, and penalties for officials who failed to verify claims, the same pattern will continue elsewhere, harming farmers who depend on reliable fertilizer supply.
The pattern reflects a broader trend reported in other parts of the country, where political connections have repeatedly overridden eligibility criteria in public dealerships and contracts.
Anti-corruption activists have condemned the practice, calling it a systematic abuse of state resources that undermines fair competition and public trust, and have demanded full accountability, transparent re-verification of all appointments, and action against those responsible.
Specific violations in Chougacha and elsewhere
In Chougacha upazila, Messers Chougacha Traders topped the approved list. Its owner is Selim Reza Aulia, president of the upazila poura BNP unit. Local sources say he has long been involved in tiles trading and BNP politics but has never dealt in fertilizer or pesticides. Guidelines explicitly require prior involvement in the fertilizer business as the primary condition.
When contacted, Aulia said he had applied and received the dealership from the government, adding that he could learn the trade as he had done with tiles.
Other senior leaders used family members. Upazila BNP general secretary Masudul Hasan’s mother, Amena Begum (over 60), received the dealership for Messers Nishan Traders in Hakimpur union and has also obtained a Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) dealership. Former upazila BNP president Zahurul Islam’s wife, Rahima Akhtar Lipi, was selected in Patibila union despite four other applicants with prior fertilizer-selling experience being rejected.
Neither woman had any documented involvement in the fertilizer trade.
Similar cases appear across the district. In Manirampur, Messers Nafis Enterprise is owned by Masud Parvez Rubel, son of the upazila BNP acting president. Messers Monirul Farazi belongs to the son of the upazila BNP president. Other approvals went to individuals linked to Awami League figures or even the wife of a person recently arrested in a drug raid.
Non-existent businesses and lack of verification
Multiple dealerships were granted to entities with no visible presence. In Narayanpur union (Chougacha), Amena Traders was approved under the name of union BNP president Tarikul Islam Doblu, but no such shop exists at the listed address; the premises house a cooperative society. Locals and the building owner stated no agreement was signed. In Nehalpur (Manirampur), the listed shop is an abandoned warehouse where fertilizer was never sold.
Officials and local people report that many approved “dealers” presented contracts for others’ warehouses or nonexistent premises.
Three agriculture officers, speaking anonymously, said upazila lists were forwarded to the district and then to Dhaka with virtually no verification. The agriculture office itself conducted no field checks. As a result, the majority of selected individuals lack fertilizer-business experience, raising concerns about future supply disruptions.
Protests, sidelined experienced traders, and official response
At least 20 long-term fertilizer traders who applied were rejected despite meeting criteria. One Manirampur trader who has sold fertilizer since 2008 said his name was omitted because he lacked political connections. Even some BNP members have protested, holding human chains and press conferences. They allege that rivals or politically preferred names were inserted while genuine applicants were ignored.
The district administration formed a three-member investigation committee led by the local government deputy director after complaints. Investigations cover 21 dealers (including all 11 in Chougacha, seven in Bagharpara, and three in Manirampur). Three unions still have no dealers appointed. Officials say the district Fertilizer and Seed Monitoring Committee has taken the complaints seriously and a report will be submitted soon.
BNP district general secretary Delwar Hossain Khokon acknowledged that more party workers applied and were selected but insisted the administration verified applications and the party did not intervene.
Jamaat-e-Islami leaders held a press conference claiming that BNP-submitted lists were followed across 93 unions while their own recommendations were ignored.