Fertiliser dealers yesterday enforced a countrywide strike for an indefinite period protesting the on-going mobile court drive to ensure use of jute sack instead of polythene.
The dealers are now using polypropylene bags instead of jute sack to distribute fertiliser across the country.
The dealers of Chittagong have suspended unloading all types of fertilisers from yesterday morning from two factories of Diammonium Phosphate Fertiliser Company Ltd, Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd, Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company and Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation.
Md Nasir Uddin, president of Chittagong chapter, Bangladesh Fertilizer Association told the Dhaka Tribune that they would enforce the strike until the issue was resolved.
“The fertilisers are basic substances and they cannot be carried in jute sacks. The jute sacks will get damaged from 10-15 days if fertilisers are carried in jute sacks,” added the leader of the fertliser dealers.
It may be mentioned that the Ministry of Textile and Jute has started a drive from Monday to ensure implementation of the Mandatory Jute Packaging Act, 2010. As per the act, use of jute sacks is mandatory in packaging six essential products-paddy, rice, wheat, maize, fertiliser and sugar. Violators face a maximum of one year in jail or a fine of Tk50,000 or both for using non-degradable synthetics to package commodities.
The Mandatory Jute Packaging Act was enacted in October 2010 and the rules under the law were framed in June 2013 to facilitate the implementation of the law with a view to boosting domestic use of jute bags instead of synthetic. Consumption of locally produced and environment-friendly jute would be increased due to the implementation of the act.
