Dulal Hossain, 68, waited three days in 104-degree heat at a Bangladeshi gas station for diesel to irrigate his rice fields. The Strait of Hormuz closure after the U.S.-Israel war on Iran halted shipping, causing global energy prices to soar. For six weeks, he bicycled jerrycans to his pump, but his harvest yielded barely one-fourth the usual volume, leaving nothing to sell.

83% of Bangladesh's irrigation pumps run on diesel, and the country imports over 80% of its fuel. 15 million smallholder households produce two-thirds of the nation's rice. Experts warn the crisis could dissuade planting. "If this diesel crisis continues, farmers might not be interested in continuing to invest," said Zakir Hossain Khan, economist at Change Initiative.

Bangladesh's electricity grid prioritizes urban Dhaka, forcing rural rolling blackouts. The Barind Multipurpose Development Authority's electric irrigation network — charging one-third diesel prices — faces financial strain. If it fails, farmers may switch to less water-intensive crops, disrupting rice-centric supply chains. "It's still the lifeblood," said Sattar Mandal, former vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University. "You can't stop it immediately or you have an issue with food security."