Dhaka, May 4 -- The development of Bangladesh's domestic pesticide industry has been stalled for a number of years now, due to significant tariff disparities and regulatory hurdles, leaving the country heavily dependent on imports essential to the agriculture sector that still dominates the economy.

Industry insiders and agricultural economists warn that, while Bangladesh has successfully become a global exporter of pharmaceuticals, the relatively simple technology of pesticide manufacturing remains underdeveloped due to a "discriminatory" tax structure.

They suggested a reasonable and competitive tax rate on raw material imports for pesticide production in the upcoming budget for the fiscal year of 2026-27.

The primary obstacle to the...