Russia to aid Bangladesh with free potash fertilizer

Russia has agreed to provide Bangladesh with a full shipload of potash fertilizer, totaling 30,000 tonnes, free of charge. The announcement was made by Russian Ambassador Alexander Mantytskiy during a meeting with Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Adviser, Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam, held on August 29, 2024, at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

During the discussions, Adviser Jahangir acknowledged Russia’s pivotal role as a key supplier of both wheat and fertilizer to Bangladesh. He highlighted the economic strain exacerbated by recent flooding in the region, which has posed significant challenges to food security and led to difficulties in settling payments for previous imports, including 2.6 million tonnes of wheat already purchased from Russia.

In response to the ongoing crisis, the Adviser requested further assistance from Russia in the form of an additional shipload of wheat, which was also to be provided free of charge. This request was part of broader discussions on maintaining the flow of essential commodities to Bangladesh under the current conditions.

Ambassador Mantytskiy expressed a desire to enhance cooperation between the two nations, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity and forensic lab modernization and capacity building within Bangladesh. The meeting was also attended by Russian Embassy Counsellors Anton Chernov and Vladimir Mochalov, alongside representatives from the embassy and senior officials from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Home Affairs.