Bangladesh Fertiliser Crisis 2026: Gas Shortages Threaten Food Security for 170 Million
Bangladesh shut down 4 of 5 state-owned urea fertiliser factories in March 2026 after running out of natural gas. The cause: Middle East conflict disrupted global LNG supply — Qatar halted LNG production and hostilities near the Strait of Hormuz blocked shipments. This threatens food production in one of the world's most densely populated and agriculture-dependent countries.
On March 5, 2026, Bangladesh suspended production at four of its five state-run urea fertiliser plants due to severe natural gas shortages. Only the Shahjalal Fertiliser Factory remained operational. The country's population of over 170 million people depends heavily on domestic rice production, which requires urea fertiliser. ## Cause Chain The gas shortage traces to the Middle East conflict disrupting global LNG (liquefied natural gas) supply. Qatar, a major LNG exporter, halted production amid regional instability. Hostilities near the Strait of Hormuz — through which approximately 20% of global oil and a significant share of LNG shipments transit — blocked or disrupted tanker traffic. Bangladesh, which imports LNG to supplement declining domestic gas production, was directly affected. ## Scale of Impact The Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) alone produces 1,100 tonnes of urea and 800 tonnes of ammonia daily at full capacity, requiring 48-52 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. The shutdown of four plants represents a massive reduction in domestic fertiliser production during a critical agricultural season. ## Food Security Implications Bangladesh is one of the world's most densely populated countries and one of the most vulnerable to food supply disruptions. Rice is the staple crop and primary caloric source for the majority of the population. Urea fertiliser is essential for rice yields — without it, per-hectare output drops dramatically. The timing of the shutdown during planting season amplifies the risk. ## Broader Pattern This is an example of how geopolitical conflict transmits through energy markets into food security. The causal chain — military conflict → energy supply disruption → fertiliser production halt → crop yield reduction → food insecurity — is the same pattern that affected global food prices after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when disrupted Black Sea grain exports and Russian/Belarusian fertiliser sanctions caused worldwide food price spikes.