A massive allegation has been indicated against a trading agency of evaporating 1.40 lakh tons government imported fertilizer during transportation. It is alleged that M/s Kushtia Trading Agency, which was given responsibility to transport this fertilizer, did not reach to the buffer warehouses to store of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) even after two years pushing the government into a risk of financial loss of about Tk. 1 thousand 115 crores.
The matter came to light of an audit report of the Directorate of Agriculture and Environment Audit under the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
Although the agency source is demanding of negligent to deliver fertilizer on time to the truck associations of different districts, the truck associations are saying different. Now, it is suspected that the agency and the truck association have colluded with each other in the disappearance of huge quantities of fertiliser.
The BADC warehouse officials did not agree to inquire about whether the fertilizer has reached the warehouse on time, including Kushtia and some surrounding districts. This correspondent when investigated.
According to the documents, government imported approximately 140 thousand metric tons of fertilizer in the fiscal year 2021-22 is to be released from Chittagong and Khulna ports and conveyed to BADC to the contractor M/s Kushtia Trading Agency. But the BADC officials do not have any accurate information whether the fertilizer has been delivered at all.
No official of the agency is also opening up about this. The transport company M/s Kushtia Trading Agency is also not saying anything. The company’s offices in Dhaka and Kushtia remain locked most of the time as a result no answer is come to light.
In case of transportation of DAP and TSP fertilizers, as per the contract, the transport contractor has to finalize the specified quantity of fertilizers to BADC on time and under its own responsibility. As per the terms of the contract, in case of transportation of MOP fertilizer, the necessary procedures should be completed promptly and within the stipulated time after the vessel arrives at the outer anchorage of the port. As per rules, BADC is supposed to supply fertilizers to various warehouses within one year of signing the agreement. A fine of Tk 5 per metric ton per day is levied for failure to transport fertilizer on time.
According to the relevant documents, after the arrival of fertilizer in the mother vessel at Chittagong and Khulna ports, after completing the lightering, sack supply, weighing, bagging, survey and ancillary work, the contractor company M/s Kushtia Trading was given a schedule for transportation to various warehouses of BADC. But the agency did not follow that condition properly.
A perusal of the records shows that during the financial year 2021-2022, 2 lakh 53 thousand metric tonnes of DAP and MOP fertilizers have been paid through LC for import in six vessels. Out of this, according to the bill of lading, 90 thousand metric tons of fertilizers have been discharged from the ship at Chittagong port.
BADC contracted with Kushtia Trading to reach this fertilizer to warehouses. But even after a year has passed after the ship arrived at outer anchorage, the contractor has not delivered 90 thousand metric tons of fertilizer worth Tk 696 crore 31 lakh 65 thousand 874.
According to the agreement, if the fine is collected after the specified period, the amount will be 91 lakh 25 thousand taka till the audit period. In all, the financial loss of the government in this case is Tk 697 crore 22 lakh 90 thousand 874.
On the other hand, the government paid the price through LC for importing 1 lakh 8 thousand 85 metric tons of DAP, MOP and TSP fertilizers in three ships through Khulna port.
According to the bill of lading of this import, 68 thousand 85 metric tons of fertilizers were discharged at Khulna port. Out of this 18 thousand 241 metric tons are supplied to various warehouses of BADC. The remaining 49 thousand 844 metric tons have no whereabouts; the price of which is 418 crore 11 lakh 40 thousand 395 taka.
In this case, the amount of fine till the audit period is 7 lakh 37 thousand 632 taka. In this case, the total loss of the government is Tk 418 crore 18 lakh 78 thousand 27.
Director (Chittagong)of BADC Fertilizer Management Department, Kamruzzaman Sarkar said, ‘according to the contract, the agency M/s Kushtia Trading Agency was supposed to unload 90 thousand metric tons of fertilizer from the ship at Chittagong port and deliver it to BADC. He claimed that till now all fertilizers except 2000 metric tons of fertilizers have been undelivered.
But when asked why BADC will not have any information in this regard, he said that there should be information.
When asked about this fertilizer, Director (Khulna) of BADC’s Fertilizer Management Department, Liaquat Ali said, “How many metric tons of fertilizer has been delivered, it cannot be said precisely now.” When it is even year has gone, he could not reply properly.
However, officials at any level of BADC does not want to talk about this in detail.
When this correspondent, in this regard, asked to Kushtia BADC, it was demanded to reach the warehouse on time, but no official could say that the exact amount of fertilizer was reached there. They strongly objected to the publish of their names in the newspaper.
When Azimuddin, General Manager of Fertilizer Management Department of BADC was contacted to know the whole matter, he expressed his inability to talk about it.
An attempt was made to contact the Managing Director of Kushtia Trading Agency, Mokhlesur Rahman. He did not answer the phone. This correspondent even, went to his residence but could not find him. It is said that he is not at home.
Kushtia District Truck Association General Secretary Narendranath Saha said that he is in India and declined to talk. But he said they are in charge of transporting goods. They must transport the product when they get it.
