At least 17 active pesticide ingredients, identified as highly unsafe worldwide, are being used in Bangladesh, posing serious risks to public health and the environment, a new study has found.
These chemicals have been categorised as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), as they "present particularly high levels of acute or chronic hazards" to health and the environment.
In a recent study, 25 HHPs were identified as registered in Bangladesh.
Farmers, pesticide dealers and officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) confirmed the market presence and use of the 17 HHPs under various brands registered with the Plant Protection Wing of DAE.
Of them, six are insecticides; five fungicides; four herbicides (used to kill unwanted plants); and two rodenticides, according to the study funded by the Global Environment Facility, which provides grants and policy support to developing countries to protect the environment.
The study examined 343 active pesticide ingredients as per the eight global criteria set by the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management of FAO and WHO.
"Any pesticide that can cause serious or permanent harm to people or the environment is considered highly hazardous," said entomologist Gopal Das, who led the study with technical support from FAO Bangladesh.
Ten of the 17 HHPs are used widely across Bangladesh. They are Paraquat, Glyphosate, Chlorpyrifos, Abamectin, Acetochlor, Glufosinate Ammonium, Zinc Phosphide, Bromadiolone, Carbendazim, and Propiconazole.
The remaining seven HHPs are used either moderately or infrequently. They are Cadusafos, Thiacloprid, Spirodiclofen, Dimethomorph, Beta-cyfluthrin, Cyproconazole, and Edifenphos.
Experts said several of these pesticides are linked to cancer and long-term health effects, while some are highly toxic to aquatic species, birds, and pollinators such as honeybees.
The seven-member team from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in Mymensingh and Sylhet Agricultural University, which conducted the study, identified eight more HHPs that are registered with the Plant Protection Wing of DAE.
However, it found no trace of the pesticides at dealers' shops or in crop fields during the survey between December 2023 and August 2025.
The eight HHPs are Ethoprophos, Cyfluthrin, Triazophos, Methyl Bromide, Trichlorfon, Diuron, Epoxiconazole, and Flusilazole.
Currently, more than 8,000 pesticide products are registered with the Wing.
One of the HHPs, Paraquat, is commonly used by farmers in Bangladesh though it is banned in more than 40 countries, including 27 member states of the European Union.
"This pesticide ingredient poses serious health risks. If farmers are exposed to the chemical, it could affect their lungs and kidneys," said Gopal Das, a professor of entomology at BAU.
Another herbicide, Glyphosate, causes serious damage to soil.
Once the chemical is applied to plants, it seeps into the soil, mixes with soil nutrients and makes its way into the crop.
"In Bangladesh, Glyphosate is permitted for use in rubber and tea gardens. But farmers all over the country use it on other crops as well," he said.
On January 2, 2020, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) filed a writ petition with the High Court, seeking a ban on Glyphosate.
Three days later, the HC ordered the government to formulate an action plan within 90 days to phase out harmful pesticides, including Glyphosate, and introduce safe alternatives.
However, the government has yet to make any move.
When contacted, Muhammad Shah Alam, deputy director (pesticide) of the Plant Protection Wing, said that in December last year, they decided not to register any products containing Paraquat and Glyphosate. Currently, 187 products composed mainly of these two ingredients are available on the market.
He further said 19 active pesticide ingredients have been banned since 1960 due to their harmful effects.
Asked whether Paraquat, Glyphosate and other HHPs would be banned, he said their fate would be decided in the next meeting of the Pesticide Technical Advisory Committee under the Wing. He, however, could not provide any date.
Data from Bangladesh Crop Protection Association (BCPA) show a steady rise in both pesticide use and the number of manufacturers.
For crop pest control, farmers across the country used at least 40,832 tonnes of pesticides last year compared to 38,648 tonnes in 2023.
The number of pesticide companies in Bangladesh has risen to 900 from 124 in 2010, according to the data.
"The more the number of companies grows, the harder it will be for the authorities to regulate them. This must be addressed immediately," said Gopal Das.
PESTICIDE USE IN VEGETABLE
According to a 2023 review report, 77 percent of farmers in the country used pesticides on vegetables. Of them, 87 percent sprayed pesticides with little or no care, and 92 percent didn't take precautionary measures during use, storage, or transportation.
Of those who used pesticides, 37 percent sprayed vegetables with the chemicals once, 31 percent did so twice, and the rest multiple times. Some even used pesticides 17 to 150 times on a single crop throughout a growing cycle.
Tests on 1,577 winter vegetables revealed that 30 percent of the samples were contaminated and 73 percent exceeded the maximum residue limit of 0.05mg per kg, said the report prepared by four faculties from BAU and a physician from Mymensingh Medical College.
Pesticide contamination was detected in all the gourds tested; 92 percent of beans; 78 percent of tomatoes; 73 percent of eggplants; 62 percent of cucumbers; and 50 percent of cabbages and cauliflowers.
TOLL ON HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT
Improper use and exposure to pesticides may lead to cancer and health complications, according to experts.
Nearly 35 percent of farmers in Bangladesh experience acute symptoms such as nausea, headaches, and respiratory distress due to pesticide exposure, said a review published by the International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) in March this year, 2025.
Abul Hasnat, associate professor at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, said that if farmers inhale pesticides while spraying or come into contact with them, they may immediately suffer from nausea, headaches, respiratory problems or eye irritation.
"If anyone consumes food contaminated with pesticides over a long period, the person may develop cancer, neurological disorders and liver diseases depending on the types and amounts of pesticides," he said.
A study published recently by a group of hematologists found that at least 150 of 430 patients, admitted to seven cancer hospitals in Dhaka between July 2017 and June 2018, used pesticides in crop fields.
"Many of our patients are farmers with a history of pesticide use… But not everyone who uses pesticides will inevitably develop cancer. It largely depends on the physical condition of the individual who uses them," said Amin Lutful Kabir, a cancer specialist, who led the study.
This correspondent talked to a farmer, Md Mukter Uddin from Kishoreganj, who has been diagnosed with cancer.
"I have been spraying pesticides on my crop fields for many years," said the 65-year-old, who began farming in his childhood.
Asked whether he wore a mask while spraying pesticides, Mukter said he always wrapped a piece of cloth around his face for protection.
WHAT EXPERTS SAY
Experts and activists call for urgent action to restrict or ban these hazardous pesticides to safeguard public health and protect biodiversity.
Gopal Das said the government has to adopt both short and long-term approaches to phase out the HHPs from the market.
"They [the government] cannot simply ban all these ingredients overnight. They must find alternatives to those pesticides and then proceed with the ban. Otherwise, it will affect food security", he added.
Noting the absence of regulation or control mechanisms for pesticides purchase and use, he said, "A farmer can purchase and use any quantity of pesticide he wants."
DAE should strengthen field-level monitoring and arrange training programmes to teach farmers how to use pesticides safely, he added.
