Sakif Shamim: Once haunted by the spectre of famine, Bangladesh now stands as a quiet success story in food security—thanks in large part to the embrace of modern agriculture and food processing techniques. As the nation’s population grows and climate patterns shift, the need for innovation in food production and preservation has never been greater.
Once reliant on ploughs and monsoons, the country’s farmlands are now buzzing with the hum of power tillers, tractors, and combine harvesters. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, a staggering 95% of cultivated land is now tilled mechanically. Meanwhile, about 80% of croplands benefit from modern irrigation methods, enabling year-round farming and reducing the vulnerability of harvests to rainfall variability.
“Modern technology is not just a convenience—it’s become the foundation of our survival,” says Sakif Shamim, Managing Director of Labaid Cancer Hospital and Deputy MD of Labaid Group. “High-yielding seeds, mechanised tools, and scientific irrigation have transformed farming into a high-output engine.”
Indeed, rice production has tripled in the past five decades, propelling Bangladesh to third place globally. But success comes with caveats. Much of the machinery remains imported, creating both economic strain and technical mismatches. Experts stress the urgency of domestic production—not only to save foreign exchange but to craft tools better suited to Bangladesh’s unique soil and cropping needs.
There is hope on the horizon. Local firms have begun building small-scale machines, showing the promise of a growing agro-tech industry. Calls for greater investment in agricultural engineering, skill-building, and research collaboration are mounting, with stakeholders envisioning Bangladesh as a future exporter of agro-machinery.
However, production is only part of the equation. A silent crisis plays out between field and fork—food waste. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that up to 25% of crops are lost annually due to insufficient storage and processing facilities. This equates to thousands of crores of taka slipping through the cracks every year.
Enter food processing. From dried fish to packaged juices, this sector not only extends shelf life but drives job creation and export potential. Contributing significantly to the 13% of GDP from agriculture, processed food exports have now crossed the $1 billion mark. With rising global demand for safe, value-added foods, this sector could be Bangladesh’s next export powerhouse.
But challenges loom. As the nation graduates from its Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026, it risks losing preferential trade access and concessional aid. Tariff hikes could hurt agricultural exports. To stay competitive, policymakers must pivot towards high-value crops, transparent subsidies, and policy adaptability.
“There’s no single solution,” says Shamim. “We need a unified push—from research labs to village fields—to sustain what we’ve achieved and scale it further.”
In the face of global uncertainties, Bangladesh’s quiet agricultural revolution offers more than food—it offers hope. With the right blend of policy, innovation, and grassroots support, the country could not only feed its own people but also nourish economies beyond its borders.
