Widespread allegations of irregularities have surfaced in construction of government-funded Model Storage Houses for onion and garlic farmers in Faridpur’s Saltha upazila. Collusion between certain government officials and contractors is reportedly behind the mismanagement.
These groups allegedly allocated storage units to ineligible individuals (said to be farmers) in exchange of bribes, suppressing genuinely eligible farmers.
Meanwhile, many of the farmers who were allocated houses have yet to receive those, even though the onion harvest ended over a month ago. As a result, 25–30% of the onions stored in makeshift facilities have already spoiled due to inadequate preservation.
This year, under a project by the Department of Agricultural Marketing aimed at modernizing onion and garlic storage, 45 model storage houses were allocated across 18 unions in Saltha and Nagarkanda upazilas of Faridpur district.
Of these, 30 houses were sanctioned for Saltha upazila, despite 70 farmers applying for the facility. Sources said the Saltha already had 65 such storage houses built in previous phases.
In November last year, the project awarded the construction contract to Messrs Zakir & Brothers, with each storage unit budgeted at Tk. 590,000 and a completion deadline set for March 30.
However, to date, not a single unit has been fully completed, and construction has yet to begin on several of those.
Allegations that irregularities began at the very outset of the selection of farmers and construction process. Among the 70 applicants — including small, medium, and large-scale farmers — many deserving candidates were reportedly overlooked.
Sources claim that the list of 30 farmers shortlisted by the local agriculture office and submitted to the project director was disregarded. Instead, storage houses were allocated to wealthier and more influential individuals, in direct violation of the project’s guidelines, which prioritize marginal farmers. Bribes ranging from Tk. 10,000 to Tk. 100,000 were allegedly solicited in exchange for allocations, further disadvantageing poorer applicants.
The massive allegation is that neither the Saltha Upazila Administration nor the local agriculture office was consulted during the allocation or distribution process, and they reportedly do not have access to the official list of recipients.
More allegations claim that the construction of the storage houses is not adhering to the approved design specifications. As per project guidelines, each unit should cover 375 square feet, built on one decimal of land using tin, bamboo, iron, and concrete. The structures must feature six ventilation fans and be equipped with a hygrometer to monitor temperature and humidity. Each house is designed to store 350–400 maunds of onions for up to nine months and serve the storage needs of up to five farmers.
However, it is alleged that these construction standards are not being properly maintained. Additionally, while Tk. 450,000 was earmarked to train 450 farmers (Tk.1,000 per farmer), reports indicate that only 40 to 50 farmers actually received training—raising concerns that as much as Tk. 400,000 may have been misappropriated. Farmers have also claimed they were forced to provide meals for construction workers, despite the project being fully government-funded.
Shakhawat Hossain, a farmer from Kazipara who harvested 700 maunds of onions this season, stated that construction on his assigned storage house has yet to begin. As a result, a significant portion of his harvest began to spoil, forcing him to sell at reduced prices.
Another farmer from Gatti Union, requesting anonymity, claimed to have paid a Tk. 10,000 bribes, while others allegedly paid Tk. 50,000 to Tk. 100,000 for allocations.
Nannu Molla from West Pishonail village stated that although the government was supposed to cover all construction costs, he had to bear the cost of sand for the house floor and food for the workers even.
“I was told that without raising the floor level with sand, the contractors would not proceed,” the farmer alleged.
When contacted, contractor Zakir Hossain, proprietor of Zakir & Brothers, acknowledged that some farmers had designated low-lying land for construction of the house, which raised material costs.
He claimed that in response, farmers were voluntarily filling the land with sand and supplying meals to workers, describing it as a customary rural practice.
He also admitted that farmers were bearing extra material expenses in certain cases due to the land’s unsuitability, despite the original plan requiring plain plots for construction.
Field officer Shahjahan Ali from the Department of Agricultural Marketing denied bribery allegations, claiming that due to high demand, not all applicants could be accommodated and that those left out were spreading misinformation.
He also said the project director personally verified the recipients.
Saltha Upazila Agriculture Officer Sudarshan Shikdar confirmed that 70 applications were submitted, and 30 were shortlisted and forwarded, but none from the submitted list were selected.
He also said they were not informed about who ultimately received the allocations.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Anichur Rahman stated that if anyone submits a written complaint regarding allocation, construction, or bribery, an investigation will be launched and legal action taken.
Senior Agricultural Marketing Officer in Fridpur Shahadat Hossain referred inquiries to the project director.
Project Director Helal Uddin said that the allocations were made based on public announcements and thorough verification processes.
He firmly denied any involvement of bribery or unauthorized changes in the construction plans.
He assured that any written complaint from a farmer would be investigated, and necessary actions would be taken.
He further mentioned that although the original deadline was March 30, it has been extended to April 30 due to delays.
As per his latest update, approximately 70% of the construction work has been completed.
Aman/KTS