Official Seizes Subsidized Rice Seeds in Moulvibazar, One Arrested

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Authorities in Moulvibazar’s Kulaura upazila have seized 240 kilograms of government-subsidized rice seeds and sentenced a local trader to seven days in jail following an operation targeting the illegal sale of agricultural supplies on the open market.

The mobile court, led by Assistant Commissioner (Land) Pronay Biswas, conducted the raid late Wednesday night at Chowdhury Bazar in the Rautgaon Union. Acting on intelligence that government-allocated seeds were being sold illicitly, officials intercepted 40-year-old Jamal Miah, a resident of the Kulaura municipal area, in possession of 24 sacks of BRRI-51 aman rice seeds. Each sack was marked for distribution in the Rajshahi region, suggesting a significant diversion from official supply chains.

Following the seizure, Miah was sentenced to seven days of simple imprisonment and subsequently transferred to the Moulvibazar district jail. The confiscated seeds have been secured and handed over to the local agriculture office for further evaluation.

During questioning, Miah alleged that he had sourced the seeds from Nizam Traders, a local authorized dealer located in the North Bazar area of Kulaura. Officials attempted to inspect the dealer’s warehouse during the operation, but the premises were found locked. Local police and agricultural authorities are now pursuing an investigation into the dealership.

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As reported by Prothom Alo, Upazila Agriculture Officer Muhammad Jashim Uddin confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine the extent of the malpractice. Attempts to reach the owner of Nizam Traders were unsuccessful, as his mobile phone remained powered off.

Motilal Dhar, a deputy assistant director for the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), noted that while seeds are occasionally transferred between regional warehouses due to logistical requirements, the specific circumstances surrounding this shipment remain under scrutiny. Officials have tasked the agriculture office with reviewing the dealer’s records to verify whether the stock was legally procured from authorized regional channels or diverted through fraudulent means.