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Health & Food

World Bank signs $300 million financing agreement for food security

The financing targets fertiliser availability for farmers, with implementation scheduled through June 2027.

Bengal Brief · · 1 min read
Conceptual illustration of fertiliser sacks in a rural shop, with a shopkeeper and rice fields.
Bengal Brief — AI-generated conceptual illustration.

From 6 October 2026 — Daily Brief

Bangladesh signed a $300 million financing agreement with the World Bank on Monday to support food security by improving access to fertiliser, with smallholder farmers among the intended beneficiaries.

The agreement, equivalent to 219.2 million special drawing rights, was signed by Economic Relations Division Secretary Shahriar Kader Siddiky and World Bank Division Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan Jean Pesme, according to the division’s announcement.

The support is intended to help maintain fertiliser availability and reduce the risk that supply constraints disrupt agricultural production. It establishes financing for the programme; it does not mean the planned fertiliser purchases or distribution have already been completed.

Implementation is scheduled from July 2026 to June 2027. The Finance Division will carry out the programme with the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation and Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, which are involved in fertiliser supply.

The financing carries a 25-year repayment period, including five years’ grace. The announced terms include 1.5 per cent interest on withdrawn funds and a commitment charge of up to 0.5 per cent on undisbursed funds, with that charge waived for the current financial year.

The next task is to turn the financing agreement into supplies available to farmers within the programme period.

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