, March 29 -- Diesel shortage in Bangladesh's northern districts is disrupting irrigation at a critical stage of the Boro season, raising fears of a drop in rice production and deepening anxiety among farmers.

Growers in 16 districts including Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj, said they are unable to irrigate their fields due to a lack of fuel.

As vast tracts of cropland are drying up during peak Boro cultivation many fear irreversible damage to the country's main food crop.

The ongoing fuel crunch has left diesel-run irrigation pumps, tube wells and agricultural machinery idle across large swathes of farmland.

Farmers allege that most filling stations in Rangpur and ...