Law enforcement officials including the army were called in to pacify the fertiliser-hungry farmers.

Meanwhile in Nachole, the ministerial committee probing the July 4 Nachole violence over fertiliser detected sheer mismanagement in fertiliser distribution system as one of the reasons that triggered the farmer unrest.

In Godagari, some 1,300 farmers gathered in front of fertiliser store of dealer Wali Ahad and became angry when they were told that only 280 sacks containing 50-kg urea each were available for distribution, said locals and government officials.

As the farmers strongly demanded fertiliser for all, the dealer suspended sale and sought help of the law enforcers who assured the farmers that the dealer will make arrangements to sell fertiliser to all on Wednesday (tomorrow) and Thursday.

The district administration sent a requisition of 50 more metric tons of fertiliser for distribution in the union. Farmers told journalists that they need the fertiliser as soon as possible as it will be of no use a week later.

NACHOLE VIOLENCE
Sheer mismanagement in fertiliser distribution system is one of the reasons that triggered the farmer unrest on July 4 in Nachole, said the ministerial committee probing the incident.

"The local authorities failed to ensure a smooth distribution [of fertiliser].... the stock [of fertiliser] was sufficient.... farmers got infuriated at the mismanagement as they were in a hurry," said Anwar Faruk, head of the four-member committee and director general of seed wing under agriculture ministry, after visiting Nachole yesterday.

The committee is likely to submit its report to the government within a few days.

"Our work is almost done.... we will spend a couple more days to verify the information and the documents we gathered," Anwar Faruk told The Daily Star.

Other members of the committee are Abdul Hamid, director of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation, Ershad Hossain Khan, additional director of Department of Agriculture Extension and Asit Kumar Mukutmoni, additional divisional commissioner of Rajshahi.

The committee heard a number of witnesses in the office of Nachole Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and collected written statements from 26 persons.

Most of the speakers blamed UNO Monjur for cursing and physically assaulting a number of the farmers waiting for fertiliser on July 4. The UNO ignored suggestions from other officials and at one time he slapped an agriculture official as he recommended setting up more distribution points to quell the agitation.

The team also recorded statement of injured UNO Monjur Morshed, currently undergoing treatment in Rajshahi.