Teknaf, Bangladesh: Bangladesh Rifles, (BDR) seized a fishing trawler with urea fertilizer when it was enroute to Burma on January 24.

 On being tipped off, a section of BDR from Battalion No. 23 of Teknaf numbering eight, went to Naff River late at night, which demarcates the Bangladesh-Burma border and chased a fishing trawler which was going to Maungdaw, Burma, on the opposite side of Teknaf town carrying fertilizer, said and aide of BDR from Teknaf.

Sensing the presence of the BDR, the crewmen of the trawler immediately berthed the trawler at the Naff River bank at the side of Burma and the entire crew ran away inside Burma leaving the trawler with the fertilizer.

As a result, BDR was not able to catch the smugglers. But, they brought the trawler with the fertilizer from Burma side to Teknaf near the BDR out-post in Naff River.

Bangladesh is also facing shortage of fertilizer for the Boro cultivation season and million of tones of fertilizers are being imported from abroad to meet the demand of farmers. In this situation, some smugglers are smuggling fertilizer to Burma from Bangladesh to earn more profit. Burma’s farmers favour Bangladesh fertilizer as the quality is good compared to Burma’s fertilizer, said a trader in Teknaf.