A mobile court has fined ACI Rice Mill at Mohadevpur Upazila in Naogaon Tk 100,000 for hoarding the staple illegally amid price rises.

Md Kamrul Hasan Sohag, the chief executive of the Upazila administration and executive magistrate, led the mobile court drive on the mill at Saraswatipur on Tuesday evening.

He said he slapped the fines on the mill in line with the National Agricultural Marketing Act of 2018 and collected the sum immediately.

The mill stored more Atap rice in its warehouse than its mentioned capacity in breach of the law, he said.

The mill was ordered to sell the extra rice within three working days.

Kamrul also ordered the mill to remove the extra price labelled on the sacks.

Deputy Commissioner Md Goulam Mawla, chief of the district administration, said rice prices increased suddenly a few days ago and allegations surfaced that some rice mill owners caused the hike by illegally hoarding the produce.

“We are conducting drives on the warehouses of the rice mills following the allegations. The drives will continue.”

An official at the mill declined to comment on the matter, saying the journalists may contact the company’s media cell.

Comments from the ACI media cell were not available at night.