The government plans to build three new fertiliser factories to raise domestic output. They are a urea plant in Bhola with a capacity of 1,700 tonnes a day, a triple superphosphate (TSP) plant in Chattogram with a capacity of 400,000 tonnes a year, and a plant in Palash, Narsingdi, to make 24,000 tonnes a year of urea formaldehyde-85 (UF-85).
Officials at the Ministry of Industries said the plan by the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), if carried out, would raise the country’s fertiliser production capacity, reduce dependence on imports, strengthen supply to farmers and create new industrial jobs. The corporation has set a target of raising fertiliser production to 2.7 million tonnes within the next three to five years.
BCIC runs seven fertiliser factories: five make urea and two make other fertilisers. In the 2025-26 fiscal year, the country needed 2.6 million tonnes of urea. BCIC’s factories produced 1,100,732.5 tonnes that year, or 42.34 percent of demand.
Demand for TSP and diammonium phosphate (DAP) in the same year was 750,000 tonnes and 1.485 million tonnes respectively. BCIC’s factories produced 68,259 tonnes of TSP and 82,142 tonnes of DAP, or 9.10 percent and 5.53 percent of demand. Most of the country’s needs are therefore met through imports.
BCIC officials said the government pays a subsidy of Tk 23,000 on every tonne of urea, Tk 49,170 on every tonne of TSP and Tk 98,840 on every tonne of DAP. With these costs in mind, the government decided to set up the three new factories. It is also giving priority to expanding and modernising the existing plants.
Urea plant in Bhola: 1,700 tonnes a day
The proposed urea factory in Bhola is meant to raise domestic production to meet the country’s demand for urea. Its target output is 1,700 tonnes a day.
According to BCIC, the factory will need 45 to 50 million cubic feet of gas a day to keep running once it is built, so securing an adequate gas supply is critical to the project. Once it is running, the plant would increase the country’s urea capacity and the share of farmers’ needs met from domestic production.
BCIC chairman Md Babul Mia said: “Raising domestic production capacity is urgent to meet the country’s demand for urea. If the proposed urea factory in Bhola is built, it will play an important role in increasing capacity. But projects of this kind need an adequate gas supply, technical preparation, financing and the necessary approvals.”
TSP plant in Chattogram: 400,000 tonnes a year
To raise domestic production of phosphate fertiliser, a new TSP factory with an annual capacity of 400,000 tonnes is planned on unused land at the TSPCL complex in North Patenga, Chattogram. Production at BCIC’s existing TSP complex is currently disrupted by shortages of raw materials and problems at the plant.
A new factory would substantially increase the country’s capacity to produce TSP.
“A new factory is planned to increase domestic production of TSP,” Babul Mia said. “We are reviewing the technical and economic aspects of the project and moving ahead with the necessary preparations. If it is carried out, TSP production capacity will rise and domestic production will contribute more to the country’s fertiliser supply.”
UF-85 plant in Palash
A UF-85 factory with an annual capacity of 24,000 tonnes is planned on unused land at Ghorashal-Palash Fertilizer PLC in Palash, Narsingdi. The project would put existing industrial infrastructure and idle land to use, and could raise production capacity for related industrial products.
“There is scope to set up new industry on unused land at existing industrial plants,” Babul Mia said. “For the proposed UF-85 factory in Palash, the next steps must take into account the production technology, market demand and economic feasibility. If the project is carried out, it will create room to raise production capacity in the related industries.”
Prospect of new jobs
If the three factories are built, jobs could be created at several stages, both during construction and after production begins. Besides engineers, technicians, skilled workers and operating staff, there is potential for indirect employment in transport, supply, maintenance and related services. The projects proposed in Bhola, Chattogram and Narsingdi could also make greater use of existing industrial infrastructure in those areas and expand local economic activity.
“New factories could create jobs at various stages, from construction to production and maintenance,” Babul Mia said. “But how many people will be employed can only be said once the final design, production technology and staffing structure of each project have been settled. Alongside raising production capacity, we also want to give weight to building a skilled workforce for industry.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report