Rice for OMS found in pvt warehouse

Rapid Action Battalion yesterday seized 445 bags of rice meant for open market sale (OMS) from a local warehouse at Mahiganj in Rangpur town.
Acting on a tip-off, a Rab-5 team raided the warehouse of rice trader Mahfuzur Rahman Fattah and seized about 400 bags of rice (each bag carrying 50 kg rice), said Assistant Police Superintendent (ASP) Anwar Hossain.
Also, the team seized a truck laden with 45 bags of OMS rice, he said.
Besides, many empty rice bags bearing the government's seal for OMS was found at the depot, he added.
However, sensing the presence of Rab, the rice trader, his salesmen and the truck driver fled the scene, said the ASP.
Khademul Islam Hero, Rangpur Sadar upazila food officer, confirmed that the rice found in the depot was meant for sale under the OMS and fair price card programmes.
The ASP said Rab had information that Fattah had long been procuring OMS rice from dealers in different areas and sold it at higher prices to retailers in Rangpur and other parts of the country.
Food Department sources at Rangpur said a number of OMS dealers and food officials were involved with the sale of OMS rice in the black market.
The dealers alleged that food officials charged them Tk 1,000 against 3 tonnes of OMS rice six days a week and Tk 5,000 against 20 tonnes of fair price rice a month.
When contacted, District Food Controller Shantosh Kumar Pandit said no dealer informed him that food officials were charging money for drawing rice under fair price and OMS programme.
He said action would be taken against those officials.
"We will also investigate as to how the OMS rice moved to the depot of Fattah from OMS dealer Sheikh Asif Hossain," he added.