Ashuganj Fertiliser Plant Suffers Tk135 Crore Loss Due to Prolonged Closure

The Ashuganj Fertiliser and Chemical Company Limited (AFCCL) in Brahmanbaria has been shut down for 16 months due to a prolonged gas shortage, resulting in an estimated financial loss of around Tk135 crore.

The plant, which once produced between 400,000 and 500,000 tonnes of urea fertiliser annually, requires 47-48 million cubic feet of natural gas per day to operate at full capacity. However, the inadequate gas supply has forced production to stop repeatedly, with occasional short periods of gas supply not being sufficient to sustain normal production.

The plant's employees are concerned that prolonged inactivity could reduce the efficiency of the machinery and lead to a decline in skilled manpower due to the lengthy production halt.

Experts warn that a decline in domestic urea production could increase reliance on imports, placing additional pressure on the country's foreign currency reserves and exposing the agricultural sector to further risks due to volatility in international fertiliser prices.