A new policy guideline is being drafted to make pesticide use in Bangladesh more science-based, limited and environmentally sustainable, which will establish quality control measures from the source of pesticides. It will comprehensively cover pesticide import, registration, quality control, application, marketing, and safeguards for public health and the environment.
According to officials, the guideline may also recommend the phased prohibition or stricter regulation of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) identified as posing severe risks to human health and the environment.
In July, the agriculture ministry formed an expert committee to prepare the guideline. The committee has already held one meeting and is scheduled to convene again on Thursday. With the aim of sustainable agriculture and safe food production, the committee will review the existing Pesticide Act, related regulations, registration procedures, licensing, quality control systems, laboratory facilities and monitoring mechanisms before formulating the guideline.
The policy will provide recommendations to protect soil, water, the environment, biodiversity and public health while ensuring the regulated import, production and judicious use of pesticides. It may also introduce testing of imported pesticides before they reach farmers.
The committee member, Dr Nirmal Kumar Dutta, also director (Tuber Crops) at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), said to Bonik Barta that the committee had already begun its work and would submit the guideline in due course. “Despite chemical pesticides playing an important role in crop production, their misuse is the main concern. The guideline is being prepared to promote their rational use to minimise risks to human health and the environment, alongside expanding the use of alternative pest management methods, such as biopesticides, pheromone traps and sticky traps, at the field level.”
He further said: “The guideline will prioritise expanding the supportive strategies for safe food production at the field level, as well as gradually reducing the use of highly hazardous pesticides and phasing them out over time. But it’ll also be taken into consideration that this doesn’t disrupt crop production.”
According to agricultural economists and researchers, the expansion of intensive farming, high-yield crop varieties, and fruit and vegetable cultivation over the past decade increased pesticide use nationwide. Bangladesh used 35,523 tonnes of pesticides in 2015, while the consumption rose to 40,832 tonnes in 2024, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). The agriculture ministry estimates that the country has around 8.82 million hectares of cultivable land, translating into an average pesticide application rate of 4.62 kilograms per hectare.
Experts warn that current pesticide-use practices have become a major concern. Excessive application beyond recommended levels, the use of unapproved pesticide mixtures, repeated use of the same active ingredients, and spraying crops until just before harvest have all heightened risks to public health and the environment. Vegetables and fruits available in the market are also frequently found to contain pesticide residues exceeding permissible limits, making it increasingly difficult to ensure food safety.
According to specialists, most farmers still do not properly follow the pre-harvest interval — the mandatory waiting period between pesticide application and harvesting, helping chemical residues directly enter the food chain.
In 2023, the Department of Pharmacology at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in Mymensingh published a study titled “Pesticides in vegetable production in Bangladesh: A systematic review of contamination levels and associated health risks in the last decade.” Published in the journal ScienceDirect, the study found that more than 29 percent of the vegetable samples collected were contaminated with pesticide residues. Of the contaminated samples, 73 percent contained pesticide residue levels exceeding the maximum permissible limits.
Excessive pesticide use is also adversely affecting beneficial soil microorganisms, pollinating bees, aquatic organisms and overall biodiversity. In many areas, prolonged use of the same pesticides has led to the development of pesticide resistance among insect populations, forcing farmers to apply larger quantities or use more potent pesticides to control pests.
The proposed policy guideline seeks to ensure safety not only at the farm level but throughout the entire pesticide supply chain, including import, registration, production, marketing and distribution. It is also expected to specify which active ingredients will be eligible for registration in Bangladesh, which substances will be phased out in line with international safety standards due to their high-risk nature, and in which cases biopesticides should be given priority. The policy may introduce mandatory laboratory testing of imported pesticides before they are distributed to farmers.
Speaking to Bonik Barta, Dr Khandakar Shariful Islam, a member of the agriculture ministry’s expert committee, said, “We’ll try to incorporate a provision in the guideline requiring imported pesticides to be tested to determine the risk level they pose before they are distributed to farmers, including arrangements for laboratory testing. Bangladesh has now limited laboratory capacity for such testing. But one or two testing facilities could be established at the country’s entry points, which would be able to quickly determine whether imported pesticides contain any harmful substances, heavy metals or other components that pose risks to public health. The documentation accompanying imported products would also be thoroughly scrutinised. If any irregularities are detected, the products could be prevented from reaching farmers.”
Stakeholders said the guideline will also emphasise farmer training, clear usage instructions in Bangla, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the wider adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have long recommended the gradual phase-out of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs). As export markets, including the European Union, continue to tighten their Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides, the issue has become increasingly important for Bangladesh’s agricultural exports.
Experts believe that if the new policy effectively incorporates the phased withdrawal of high-risk chemicals, greater use of biopesticides, digital traceability and regular pesticide residue monitoring, it will enhance food safety, along with strengthening the international competitiveness of Bangladesh’s agricultural exports.
Professor Dr Md Mahmudul Hasan Sikder of Bangladesh Agricultural University told Bonik Barta, “Food demand is much higher today than it was in the 1990s. To increase production, the use of pesticides, veterinary drugs, growth promoters and other chemicals in agriculture, livestock and poultry farming has also increased. But food safety has largely been overlooked in the process, and production systems have become less sustainable. Excessive pesticide use is affecting human health, livestock and the environment alike. Pesticide residues are carried by rainwater into ponds, where they accumulate in fish, and are also transferred to livestock through contaminated grass, ultimately entering the human food chain. So alongside raising public awareness, the policy must promote the wider use of biopesticides.”