New Delhi: India has supplied another consignment of diesel to Bangladesh through the India Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline as the neighbouring country works to meet rising fuel demand.
Nearly 4,000 metric tonnes, equivalent to around 47 lakh litres, of diesel reached the Parbatipur Receiving Terminal Depot in Dinajpur through the cross border pipeline. The shipment was the pipeline’s 72nd consignment, with the transfer taking place between September 13 and September 15.
The pipeline was established under a 2018 bilateral agreement that provides for Bangladesh to import around 2 million tonnes of diesel over 15 years. Since operations began in March 2023, Bangladesh has received 330,087 tonnes of diesel through the facility.
The India Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline was inaugurated in March 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Its foundation stone was laid by the two leaders in September 2018.
The pipeline has an annual transportation capacity of 1 million metric tonnes of high speed diesel, making it an important part of energy cooperation between the two countries. It is the first cross border energy pipeline connecting India and Bangladesh.
India’s Numaligarh Refinery has also been supplying petroleum products to Bangladesh since 2015, contributing to the wider energy partnership between the neighbouring countries.
Fuel supplies through the pipeline have increased during periods of pressure on Bangladesh’s energy market. In March, Bangladesh received 17,000 tonnes of diesel through the pipeline amid supply concerns linked to disruptions in the Middle East.
Further consignments followed, with Bangladesh importing 25,000 tonnes in April, 8,000 tonnes in May and another 8,000 tonnes in July.
The latest shipment comes after Bangladesh sought additional petroleum supplies from India in August. The continued movement of diesel through the Friendship Pipeline provides Bangladesh with a direct and established route for securing refined fuel from India while strengthening cross border energy cooperation.
