Raninagar upazila administration has seized 29.31 tonnes of rice meant for government’s Food-Friendly Programmes and other social safety schemes from two warehouses of a rice trader during an anti-hoarding drive.

Tippe-off that a group of unscrupulous traders had stockpiled government rice, the drive led by Raninagar Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Sheikh Nowshad Hasan was conducted in Kutkutitala area of Abadpukur Bazar on Friday.

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The rice was recovered from two godowns belonging to Jahangir Alam Babu in the area.

Technical food inspector Md Anisur Rahman of the Raninagar Upazila Food Controller's Office, police from the Ekdala outpost, and several government-registered OMS and Food Friendly Programme dealers were also present during the drive.

Magistrate Sheikh Nowshad Hasan told UNB on Saturday morning that a mobile court raided the two warehouses and found 453 sacks of 50-kg rice and 222 sacks of 30-kg rice.

Several empty government rice sacks were also found at the scene, he said.

However, the main accused, Jahangir Alam Babu, and others fled the scene before the raid.

The seized rice worth Tk 12 lakh was to the Raninagar government food warehouse for safekeeping.

Magistrate Hasan said a case under the Special Powers Act will be filed on Saturday by the Upazila Food Department with Raninagar police against Jahangir and others involved in the illegal hoarding.

Police are working to arrest the accused.