|| Aziz Al Jaman, Rangpur: Potato farmers from several districts across Rangpur Division staged a mass hunger strike on Thursday in protest against what they described as discriminatory and unilateral increases in cold storage rental charges, demanding immediate government intervention and a fair review of the fees.The protesting farmers alleged that cold storage owners raised storage rents without consulting growers or holding any discussions with stakeholders, placing an additional financial burden on an already struggling farming community.According to the demonstrators, the cost of potato cultivation has risen sharply due to higher prices of seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, pesticides and agricultural labour. They said the increased cold storage charges have made it even more difficult to recover production costs, particularly for farmers who borrowed money to finance their cultivation."We are already facing soaring production expenses. The additional storage costs have pushed many of us into severe financial hardship," one of the protesting farmers said.The farmers also claimed that the unilateral rent hike would hit small and marginal growers the hardest. They called for cold storage charges to be fixed at a reasonable level through consultations involving farmers and relevant stakeholders.They further warned that without fair prices for potatoes and affordable storage facilities, many growers may be forced to abandon potato cultivation in the coming season. Such a development, they said, could negatively affect the country's potato production and overall food supply.The protesters urged the Ministry of Agriculture, the district administration and the Department of Agricultural Extension to intervene immediately and resolve the issue. They also warned that they would announce tougher protest programmes if their demands were not met promptly.The hunger strike ended after Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ruhul Amin assured the farmers that appropriate measures would be taken to address their concerns. He formally concluded the protest by offering juice to the fasting demonstrators.The ongoing dispute has generated widespread discussion across the Rangpur region, with thousands of potato farmers now looking to the authorities for concrete action on the issue of cold storage rental charges.