Bangladesh should turn to Russia for food security

With global politics shifting constantly, food has become the ultimate measure of national security. For countries across the Global South, especially a low-lying, crowded nation like Bangladesh, the struggle is no longer just about feeding people. It is about independence and survival. Dhaka building a solid agricultural partnership with Moscow is not a theoretical trade idea; it is a hard necessity forced by changes in global power. This is a reality Bangladesh has to handle quickly and carefully.

Over five decades, Bangladesh has rebuilt its farming sector to grow almost all its own rice; it has also become a world leader in fish and vegetable production. But a serious weak spot remains. The country still buys about 6.5 to 7 million tons of wheat from abroad every year, which makes it one of the largest buyers on the planet. Worse, Bangladesh relies on foreign suppliers for more than 70 percent of its fertilizer, including urea, DAP, and potassium. In quiet times, this import bill tops $2 billion, but it spikes wildly when global conflicts break out. When India suddenly banned wheat exports in 2022, and the Black Sea shipping routes got blocked, it became clear how easily local granaries can be cut off by decisions made thousands of miles away. For a nation of 170 million where families spend over half their income on food, a steady supply is not a policy preference. It is a matter of political survival.

This is where Russia comes in. Russia exported over 45 million tonnes of wheat in the 2023/24 marketing year. This volume makes it the largest wheat exporter globally. It also controls about 20 percent of global potash exports and a similar share of nitrogen products. Russia differs from other suppliers because it offers massive scale, state-backed logistics, and a direct willingness to trade with Global South nations outside Western-controlled pricing and shipping networks. After India banned exports in 2022, Dhaka bought 500,000 tonnes of Russian wheat through a direct government-to-government deal at a discount. Successive contracts for muriate of potash (MOP) and complex fertilizers followed. These contracts are regular agreements based on long-term strategic needs, separate from temporary panic buying.  

Over five decades, Bangladesh has rebuilt its farming sector to grow almost all its own rice; it has also become a world leader in fish and vegetable production. But a serious weak spot remains. The country still buys about 6.5 to 7 million tons of wheat from abroad every year, which makes it one of the largest buyers on the planet.

There is a rumour that the West currently pressures Bangladesh to buy grain from Ukraine. If it is true, this pressure creates major risks. Ukraine faces shattered logistical and quality ensuring infrastructure due to its 4 years of war against Russia. Its grain exports depend entirely on the shifting demands of a prolonged war. These factors create hidden risks that should worry any strategic planner. Black Sea supplies face mine-laden shipping routes and sudden political interruptions. These grain options exist inside a political framework that treats buying nations as tools to support a proxy war economy. If we avoid reliable Russian wheat and potash to buy Ukrainian grain tied to political conditions, we damage our national dignity. Modern sovereignty requires to stay out of other nations' supply-chain conflicts. On the other hand, shifting to Ukrainian grains and agricultural products will also hurt the growing energy, trade and security cooperation between Bangladesh and Russia.

Russia has advanced its farming through precision agriculture, satellite-guided soil monitoring, and seed breeding tailored for cold and drought resilience. These methods provide concrete solutions to help Bangladesh overcome the stagnant crop yields common in tropical environments. Bangladesh should establish joint research programs focused on agricultural products, specialized machinery for small farming plots, and local bio-fertilizer production. This shifts cooperation beyond basic buying and selling.

Russia is a powerful member of the BRICS group. The group now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE. This alliance created the concept of a BRICS Grain Exchange. The mechanism sets stable commodity benchmarks outside the volatile, speculative trading floors of Chicago and Paris. Bangladesh will soon leave its least-developed-country (LDC) status behind. We must join these economic frameworks as an equal partner rather than a dependent buyer. This participation allows countries like Bangladesh to secure food costs through long-term contracts. A country can settle these accounts directly in rubles, yuan, or taka. This protects financial systems from the risks of the US dollar clearing network.

Skeptics will warn against depending too much on a single country. The solution is not in isolation, but to build organized, layered agreements. Bangladesh does not need to drop trade ties with the USA, China, Canada, Australia, or India to establish an agricultural partnership with Russia. Instead, dealing with Moscow will force other partners to compete. This relationship will protect Bangladesh from export bans, sudden sanctions, and port blockades. It will place Bangladesh within a growing movement among Global South nations. These countries now choose food self-reliance over foreign aid, stability over cheap prices, and independence over dependency.

To make this work, the government under the pragmatic prime minister Tarique Rahman must establish a clear framework. Bangladesh needs long-term grain contracts that fix clear price limits. Bangladesh should build fertilizer plants that uses Russian potash and Bangladeshi natural gas. The agreements can include technology sharing to improve cold storage and crop silos. Finally, the government should work closely with other nations in BRICS-plus meetings to write the right to food directly into international trade laws.

This strategy protects Dhaka if a crisis shuts down the several maritime choke-points. It also turns Bangladesh into a regional distribution center that processes and exports Russian goods to neighboring eastern countries. In a divided world, food shortages can topple a government without a single military action. Bangladesh must pick its partners very carefully. The next few decades will depend on political trust rather than simple open markets. Combining Russia's massive grain production with the domestic capacity of Bangladesh is a practical decision. It is based on survival, economic growth, dignity and national independence.