At least five farmers were injured in a clash between potato cultivators and a group of traders over storing potatoes in Chasi Cold Storage at Mohendra Nagar village under sadar upazila of Lalmonirhat district yesterday.
The injured were identified as Mofazzal Hossain, 42, of Harati village, Khaleque, 38, and Montajul, 48, of Mohendra Nagar village, Soleman, 42, and Khalil, 35, of Haribhanga village under Sadar upazila.
Witnesses said the clash ensued at noon when the cold storage employees were receiving potatoes from the group of traders ignoring the farmers who were waiting in front of the cold storage for long.
The farmers protested the incident that led the clash, they said.
In another incident, a farmer died of cardiac arrest in front of a cold storage in Tapadhan village under sadar upazila of Rangpur district yesterday.
The deceased was identified as Abdur Rahim, 45, hailed from Mayanagar village under Kounia upazila of the district.
Sources said Rahim stood in the line for seven hours for storing his 150 bags of potato when he felt pain in his chest and died on the way to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
Director of Zelema Cold Storage Anwarul Islam Maya said as he become sick he was sent to Hospital with an ambulance and died on the way to the hospital.
The management stored his 150 bag of potato in the morning, he added.
Potato cultivators of the northern districts are facing a great problem for shortage of space in the cold storages.