Police constable Paritosh Das received injuries from brickbats pelted by the farmers towards police. He was taken to Rajshahi Police Lines after primary treatment.

Thousands of fertiliser-starved farmers lined up in front of dealer Wali Ahad's shop at Bidirpur Bazar from morning onwards. The dealer's men and police got locked in scuffles with some farmers when the latter demanded more fertiliser than what was being distributed among them.

At one stage, the dealer's men and police beat up some farmers, angering them. Minutes later, when policemen tried to thrust aside those who had already purchased fertiliser, farmers attacked policemen with brickbats.

During the attack, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sarwar Jahan and Upazila Agriculture Officer Mosarraf Hossain, who were present on the spot, were kept under siege by some farmers.

At around 12pm, a team of army men and Rajshahi Sadar circle ASP

Moazzem Hossain Bhuiyan rushed to the scene. They brought the situation under control and resumed the distribution.

According to farmers, they had been looking for fertiliser at dealer Wali Ahad's shop from July 4. The dealer and local officials started distributing fertiliser from Wednesday in quantities as small as 5kg, instead of the scheduled 10kg urea for each bigha of cropland.

Farmers complained that such small quantity of fertilizer could do little for their lands.

Azizul Haq of Vatupara said he got only 8kg for his one and a half bighas of land.

Agriculture officer Mosarraf Hossain said, authorities are releasing fertiliser from the mill gate phase by phase. "Small quantities of fertiliser are being distributed to every farmer". Meanwhile, authorities were forced to suspend fertilizer distribution and call for military forces and police to avert trouble spurred by angry farmers in the area on July 9.