Bangladesh has approved a new policy titled the “Integrated Fertilizer Dealer Appointment and Distribution Policy 2025,” aiming to overhaul the country’s fertilizer distribution system. A government gazette issued on Thursday confirmed that the policy will come into effect from Sunday, following approval by the National Coordination and Advisory Committee on Agriculture.

The policy introduces major reforms, including transparent bidding, digital monitoring, stricter eligibility criteria for dealer appointments, a ban on multiple dealerships within a family, and the abolition of the longstanding sub-dealer system. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the primary objective is to dismantle monopolistic control and syndicate-based manipulation in fertilizer distribution. An influential group of transport contractors and dealers had long been accused of hoarding fertilizers and creating artificial shortages, forcing farmers to buy at higher prices.

Under the new framework, the dual dealership structure of BADC and BCIC has been merged into a single system. Fertilizers from all sources—government, semi-government, or private—will now be distributed under one unified policy. Each union, municipality, and city corporation will have a fixed number of dealer units, and every dealer must operate three designated sales centers displaying subsidy and pricing information. All transactions, withdrawals, and records must be maintained digitally.

The policy bars government employees, public representatives, individuals convicted in criminal cases, and multiple members of the same family from becoming dealers. The security deposit has been raised to Tk 400,000, while the renewal fee has been set at Tk 1,000. Dealer performance will be routinely assessed, with provisions for renewal or cancellation based on evaluation.

Vacant dealer units will be filled through recommendations from upazila and district fertilizer and seed monitoring committees. District administrations must publish lists of vacant units alongside recruitment notices. All fertilizer dealers will be registered and listed under the new policy.

The government will temporarily ban the sale of fuel at roadside stalls, the Adviser to the Home Minister, Lieutenant General (retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, has announced, saying such fuel can be used to cause incidents.

Speaking to reporters at the secretariat, he said authorities are on heightened alert ahead of the 13 November lockdown announced by the Awami League. Patrols have been stepped up, security at key installations strengthened, and operations to recover weapons are ongoing.

The home adviser warned that terrorism will not be tolerated and no one will be spared. He urged the public to report any suspicious persons to law enforcement immediately but cautioned against taking the law into their own hands.

He added that while there have been some isolated incidents in parts of the country, there has been no major outbreak of violence so far, and public cooperation is needed to maintain security.

In Gaibandha’s Sadar upazila, a tea vendor allegedly blocked a village road after locals refused to buy tea from his shop, causing severe suffering for over 500 residents.

The incident took place on Monday (25 October) morning in Madhya Kumetpur village under Ballamjhar Union. Villagers accused the man, Shahjahan Mia, of digging up the road and blocking it with bamboo and thorny bushes after people started drinking tea from a different shop.

Local resident Johurul said the road had been used for over 50 years. “It’s unbelievable that someone would cut off a public road just because people didn’t drink his tea,” he told reporters.
Auto-rickshaw driver Hamid added that vehicles could no longer pass through the route and demanded immediate action.

However, Shahjahan Mia denied the allegations, claiming the land was his ancestral property. “This is not a public road. It used to be a brick kiln path. I’m not allowing people to use my land — it’s not about tea,” he said.

Ballamjhar Union Council Chairman Zulfiqar Rahman told local media that he was aware of the issue and had summoned Shahjahan for a hearing, expressing hope for a quick resolution.