Bangladesh will buy 45,000 tonnes of diesel from India: Friendship-pipeline will supply till April, fuel shortage will end before Eid.

Bangladesh has decided to import additional diesel from India to meet its energy needs. A total of 45,000 tonnes of diesel from India will reach Bangladesh by April. Out of this, the first consignment of 5,000 tonnes has arrived, while the next consignment is expected to reach by March 18 or 19.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) General Manager (Operations) Mohammad Murshid Hossain Azad said that a proposal to import 40,000 tonnes of additional diesel has been received. This consignment will also arrive by April once the Letter of Credit (LC) and other formalities are completed.

The supply was stopped after the coup in Bangladesh

The ‘India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline’ (IBFP) was inaugurated in March 2023 to ease the supply of diesel between India and Bangladesh. It was inaugurated virtually by the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian PM Narendra Modi.

Earlier, diesel was supplied through rail wagons, which was a very expensive and time consuming process. However, last year, during the political changes in Bangladesh and the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus, the supply from this pipeline was stopped.

Situation changed as soon as Tariq Rehman government came to power

Energy cooperation with India is back on track after the recent elections in Bangladesh when Prime Minister Tariq Rahman’s government took power.

In the last few days, the supply of 5,000 tonnes of diesel has been resumed through the pipeline. This diesel is being sent directly from India’s government company ‘Numaligarh Refinery Limited’ (NRL) to Parbatipur depot in Bangladesh.

The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline starts from the Numaligarh Refinery and runs to the Parbatipur depot in Dinajpur district of northern Bangladesh.

Oil shortage increased due to tension in West Asia

Due to the ongoing tension in West Asia and the Israel-Iran war, there was a fear of fuel shortage in Bangladesh. Due to this, huge crowds started gathering at petrol pumps and people were doing panic buying. To handle the situation, the government had imposed rationing (limited sale) on the sale of oil.

Now after the supply from India has been restored, the government has lifted this restriction. Officials say that now there is enough stock available in the country and there is no need to panic.

Decision taken for Eid holidays

Eid is the biggest festival in Bangladesh. During this period, lakhs of people go from cities to their villages. To ensure smooth transportation system and common people do not face any problem in travelling, the government has decided to end oil rationing. Increasing availability of diesel will make it easier for buses and other vehicles to get fuel.

What is India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline?

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