Pabna, Oct 28 (V7N) – A 45-year-old farmer in Bhangura upazila of Pabna is at risk of losing a finger after suffering severe tissue damage while handling an expired pesticide. His family also alleges that local BNP leaders pressured and threatened them to prevent them from filing a police complaint against the pesticide dealer.

Ashraf Ali, a poor and illiterate farmer from Betuan village in Dilpashar Union, purchased the pesticide from a shop owned by Abdul Jabbar at Saratnagar Bazar in Bhangura municipality. The pesticide had reportedly expired in January 2024, about 33 months before the purchase.

According to Ashraf’s family, he bought a granular pesticide called Cartaprid on October 15 to control stem borer pests in his Swarna paddy field. The following day, while opening the packet and mixing the pesticide with water, the substance stuck to his hand.

He returned home and washed his hand several times with soap, but itching, burning and swelling developed and continued to worsen.

On October 16, Ashraf went with his wife to Bhangura Upazila Health Complex. After providing initial treatment, doctors referred him to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital because of the severity of his condition. He remained under treatment there for about nine days before returning home because he could no longer afford the medical expenses.

After returning home on Monday, October 26, Ashraf visited the pesticide shop following advice from local residents and complained to the dealer.

His family alleged that Jabbar offered them Tk 10,000 and asked them to keep the incident confidential. They rejected the offer, leading to an argument.

Assistant Commissioner (Land) Nusrat Jahan arrived at the scene after receiving the complaint, but the accused dealer had reportedly left before she arrived. She advised Ashraf to file a regular police case and instructed the officer-in-charge to follow the legal procedure.

Ashraf’s wife, Jonifa Khatun, said doctors had warned that her husband might need to have the affected finger amputated. At her request, however, they agreed to continue treatment for some more time before making a final decision.

She also alleged that when the family tried to go to the police station, local BNP leaders obstructed them and issued threats.

According to Ashraf and his wife, several local political activists, including BNP leader Russel Rana Dulu, confined them in a room near the Saratnagar cattle market and intimidated them. Later, BNP leader Shamsul Alam, a local fertiliser dealer and proprietor of Dhaka Steel, reportedly arranged a meeting to seek a settlement through local arbitration.

The family further alleged that the leaders threatened a journalist who attempted to contact Ashraf. When the journalist called Ashraf’s mobile phone, Dulu answered and became agitated when asked to let the farmer speak, telling the journalist to direct all questions to him.

Shamsul Islam is the president of the Bhangura Sadar Union BNP, while Russel Rana Dulu is a former president of the Bhangura Sadar Union chapter of Zia Cyber Force, having been expelled from the organisation.

Shamsul Alam denied obstructing the family from approaching the police. He said he had spoken to them because they were poor and he wanted to ensure that Ashraf received proper treatment. He confirmed that Tk 10,000 had been provided for medical expenses, adding that the family remained free to seek legal action.

Dealer Abdul Jabbar acknowledged that Ashraf regularly purchased fertiliser and pesticides from his shop. He said the expired product had reached the farmer without his knowledge and that he did not know how it had happened.

Jabbar said he had advised Ashraf to seek treatment and arranged for someone to provide Tk 10,000 in assistance. He denied preventing the family from filing a case or asking any political leader to intervene.

Assistant Commissioner (Land) Nusrat Jahan said she could not find the accused dealer at the scene and therefore advised the victim to file a regular case.

Bhangura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sakiul Azam said the assistant commissioner had instructed police to take a case concerning the pesticide dealer. However, the complainants had not subsequently visited the police station to proceed with the matter. He said police would make further inquiries.

The incident has raised concerns over the sale of expired agricultural chemicals, the risks faced by farmers handling such products and allegations that local political pressure may prevent victims from seeking legal remedies.

END/MSR/SMA/