An Awami League-linked network is allegedly seeking to influence Bangladesh’s urea fertilizer market by facilitating imports from Russia, according to the report. The group is said to be led by Russia-based businessman Miah Sattar, while his brother Amiruzzaman Sohel attended a July 28 meeting at the commerce minister’s office with Russian Chargé d’Affaires Vyacheslav Sentyurin. The Russian side proposed supplying urea to Bangladesh at $10 less per tonne than other supplier countries.

The report says Bangladesh’s annual urea demand is 2.6 million to 2.7 million tonnes, while stocks stood at 620,000 tonnes as of July 23. A Commerce Ministry notice said Russian company JSC FEC Prodintorg wants to supply 280,000 tonnes of prilled urea through the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation. Questions were raised because BCIC usually imports granular urea N-46.

Sohel declined to comment on his presence at the meeting, his company’s role in fertilizer imports, or participation in government-to-government procedures, referring questions to the Russian Embassy. Russian honorary consul general in Chattogram Ashiq Imran said Miah Sattar’s company liaises with the Russian Embassy on G2G-related work as an approved Russian government entity.