Amid sanctions, Bangladesh inks deal to import fertilizers from Russia

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – The Bangladesh government has signed a procurement deal with a Russian state-owned corporation to import 180,000 tons of fertilizers despite sanctions against Russia.

The deal was signed in Russia’s capital Moscow between the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and Russian Prodintorg on Thursday, said an official statement from Dhaka on Friday.

The US imposed sanctions on Russia for its ongoing war on Ukraine, creating difficulties for countries like Bangladesh that depend on imports of fertilizers and agricultural goods from Russia.

Bangladesh needs 750,000 tons of fertilizers annually, and the South Asian country procures some 300,000 tons of fertilizers from Russia.

Last year before the US sanctions were imposed on Russia by the West and allies, the Bangladesh government had signed an agreement to import 180,000 tons of fertilizers.

After importing 60,000 tons of it, Russia got involved in the war with neighboring Ukraine. Therefore, Bangladesh couldn’t import the rest of the fertilizers.

In Bangladesh, about 90% of non-urea fertilizers have to be imported from abroad.