Stone extraction at Maddhapara Granite Mining Company Limited (MGMCL) in Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur district has been suspended again due to a shortage of ammonium nitrate, an
explosive material used for breaking underground rock layers.
Contractor Company Germania Trench Consortium (GTC) stopped stone extraction from Tuesday due to the shortage.
Officials hope that the operations will resume in the first week of June after a fresh consignment of ammonium nitrate arrives from Thailand.
Managing Director of MGMCL, Engineer DM Zobaed Hossain, said ammonium nitrate is being imported from Thailand but global factors have caused delays in shipment.
Various types of explosives including ammonium nitrate are required to break rock layers inside the mine, he said.
The mine requires explosives worth Tk 5-6 crore annually all of which must be imported from abroad.
According to mine authorities, stone extraction at the mine had previously remained suspended because of explosive shortages for 22 days in 2014, two months in 2015, and seven days in 2018.