Bangladesh to Import 45,000 Tonnes of Diesel From India by April via Friendship Pipeline

Bangladesh will import an additional 45,000 tonnes of diesel from India by April, a senior official of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) confirmed on Sunday, as the country moves to stabilise fuel supplies amid panic buying triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Md Murshed Hossain Azad, General Manager (Commercial and Operations) of BPC, told ANI that 5,000 tonnes of diesel had recently arrived from India, with another 5,000 tonnes expected around March 18 or 19. A proposal to import an additional 40,000 tonnes has also been received and will be processed through the opening of a Letter of Credit and other formalities, with the full consignment expected to arrive by April. 

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Diesel is imported from India through the Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline, which was inaugurated in March 2023 by then Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The pipeline connects Numaligarh Refinery Limited in Assam to the Parbatipur depot in Bangladesh.

Before the pipeline was commissioned, diesel was imported via train wagons. The pipeline has since become the primary conduit for regular diesel imports from India.

The previous interim government of Bangladesh, led by Mohammad Yunus, had halted diesel imports from India through the pipeline. However, following the election and the formation of the government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, imports resumed, with the first 5,000-tonne shipment arriving in recent days.

The Middle East conflict had triggered fuel anxiety in Bangladesh, with large crowds gathering at petrol pumps across the country. The government had responded by imposing sales rationing, which has since been lifted following the resumption of Indian diesel imports and the stabilisation of supply.