Banned in 77 countries, paraquat is spreading across Bangladesh

Last July, 117 patients were admitted to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital with poisoning. The district has long had a high rate of suicide. More recently, however, there has been a rise in suicide attempts involving the ingestion of herbicides. Hospital sources said most of the 117 patients admitted in July had consumed herbicides.

A study has found that paraquat, a highly toxic chemical used as a herbicide in agriculture, has become a serious public health threat in Bangladesh. The study, based on data from 10 hospitals, found that there was one recorded death from paraquat poisoning in Bangladesh in 2013. By 2024, the number of deaths from poisoning by the same chemical had risen to 212. The use of paraquat as a means of suicide is increasing at an alarming rate in the country. Ingestion can lead to a prolonged and agonising death.

The study, titled “Clinical and Laboratory Profile of Paraquat Poisoning: A Toxicological Crisis in Bangladesh,” was published in May in the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene journal.

Imports and use of paraquat in Bangladesh appear to have increased dramatically. According to National Board of Revenue data, the country imported more than 53 tonnes of paraquat in 2013. By 2023, that figure had risen to 4,695 tonnes. People involved in agriculture say farmers in rural areas are increasingly relying on the chemical instead of manually removing weeds because of labour shortages and rising wages. Yet the toxic chemical has already been banned in 77 countries.

According to the study, researchers identified 1,420 cases of paraquat poisoning in Bangladesh over 12 years.

The study was led by Dr Fazle Rabbi Chowdhury, a physician in the Department of Medicine at Bangladesh Medical University. Researchers from several institutions, including Dhaka Medical College, and the University of Edinburgh in the UK also took part. The researchers said this is the largest study of paraquat poisoning conducted in Bangladesh.

The study analysed data from 10 hospitals across the country between 2013 and 2024. These hospitals provide healthcare services to more than 65 per cent of the country’s population. Researchers identified a total of 1,420 cases of paraquat poisoning.

The study found that ingesting just 10 to 20 millilitres of paraquat can gradually destroy the lungs, causing pulmonary fibrosis and potentially leading to death after weeks of suffering. The main symptoms among patients include severe kidney failure, which can cause swelling of the legs, frequent vomiting and abdominal pain.

The study found one recorded death from paraquat poisoning in 2013. By 2024, there were 493 recorded cases of poisoning from the chemical, with 43.2 per cent of those affected dying, according to the study. Researchers described the trend as a “toxicological crisis” for Bangladesh.

Professor Md Abul Faiz, president of the Toxicology Society of Bangladesh (TSB) and one of the study’s authors, told Prothom Alo that the study had demonstrated the deadly effects of paraquat. It should be banned immediately. It is difficult to understand why such a dangerously harmful pesticide has continued to be used in the country for so long. The government needs to consider the matter urgently.

According to the report, a large proportion of those affected by paraquat poisoning are young people aged between 12 and 30, accounting for 78.2 per cent of cases. Students make up the largest group among those affected, at 38.1 per cent, followed by homemakers at 24.5 per cent. Farmers account for 14 per cent.

Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid told Prothom Alo that a committee of professionals and researchers had been formed to assess the harmful effects of paraquat as well as other toxic and hazardous chemicals. The report is likely to be received within the next one to one and a half months. After that, the findings will be presented on a larger scale.

If it is indeed found to be highly harmful, the issue of banning it will be considered, he said.

Paraquat is currently banned in more than 77 countries because of its serious risks to public health. Although India’s central government has not banned it, several state governments, including Telangana, have prohibited its use.

According to a Reuters report, the European Union Court ordered a ban on paraquat in Europe in 2007. A recent report by the British newspaper The Guardian said that Australia has tightened regulations governing paraquat amid strong opposition, although it has not completely banned the chemical. Scientists there have said studies indicate that exposure to paraquat is associated with an approximately threefold increase in the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Dr Fazle Rabbi Chowdhury, associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Bangladesh Medical University and lead author of the study, said the severity of paraquat poisoning was alarming.

“Links have been found between paraquat use and Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disorder, as well as various types of cancer. In an agriculture-dependent country like Bangladesh, where 65 per cent of the population relies on agriculture for their livelihoods, the use of paraquat is putting a large section of our population at extreme risk,” he said.

The research paper notes that Bangladesh banned highly hazardous pesticides classified as WHO Class I in 2000, a decision that played a significant role in reducing the country’s suicide rate. The Ministry of Agriculture took the decision with public health, including the safety of farmers, in mind. The ban did not have any adverse impact on agricultural production in Bangladesh.

Dr Fazle Rabbi Chowdhury said there is no specific antidote for paraquat poisoning. Although treatments such as gastric decontamination, steroids, cyclophosphamide, antioxidants, haemodialysis and haemoperfusion are currently used, none has been conclusively proven to be effective. This, he said, is why the mortality rate remains so high.

A report published in 2025 in the UK-based journal BMC Public Health found that suicide rates declined after paraquat was banned.

In South Korea, paraquat was the most commonly used substance in pesticide ingestion suicides. After paraquat was banned in 2006, the rate of deaths from pesticide ingestion suicide fell from 5.26 per 100,000 people in 2006 to 2.67 in 2010—almost half.

A study led by Professor Gopal Das of the Department of Entomology at Bangladesh Agricultural University identified 25 highly hazardous pesticides registered for use in Bangladesh. The study, conducted in 2025, was based on eight international criteria established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Researchers analysed 343 active pesticide ingredients registered in Bangladesh and identified 25 highly hazardous pesticides. These included 11 insecticides, seven fungicides, five herbicides and two rodenticides.

Gopal Das told Prothom Alo yesterday, “Of the 25 highly hazardous pesticides we identified, if any of them are to be banned, paraquat should be the first.”

Paraquat was once imported primarily for weed control in tea gardens. Over time, however, its use has spread to virtually every agricultural sector in the country—and in large quantities.

Earlier this month, this correspondent visited a jhum field in the remote Simanachhara area of Dighinala in Khagrachhari. There, the reporter spoke to jhum farmer Boneranjan Tripura. Discussing the current state of jhum cultivation, he said pesticides are now used in jhum farming, particularly herbicides. Paraquat is among them. Boneranjan was unaware of its harmful effects, but he was certain of one thing: it clears weeds quickly.

From tea gardens to agriculture in the plains and even jhum fields in remote hills—paraquat is everywhere.

Professor Ramiz Uddin of the Department of Agronomy at Bangladesh Agricultural University has conducted research on paraquat. He said, “We have seen that paraquat is being grossly misused. Companies are also importing it at will. It is not true that there are no alternatives. Integrated weed management, mechanical weed control, and relatively less toxic herbicides such as imazapyr, carfentrazone-ethyl and dicamba can currently be used.”