Since its inauguration in March, the fuel oil pipeline connecting India and Bangladesh has faced a setback in diesel imports. While 1,930 tons of diesel arrived on the opening day 18 March 2023, no additional fuel oil has been received over the past two and a half months. The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) and Meghna Petroleum are working to resolve the delay and ensure full operational capacity soon.
To facilitate diesel imports, a fuel tank is being constructed in Parvatipur, set to be completed by December 2023. Once operational, the pipeline has the potential to import up to 1 million tons of fuel oil per year. Importing diesel via rail wagons used to be a time-consuming process for BPC. However, the pipeline promises cost and time savings, with an estimated reduction of approximately 80-90 crore taka ($11-12 million) annually.
The long-term diesel import agreement from India spans 15 years, and the pipeline is equipped with advanced monitoring technology to prevent issues such as theft. The project was jointly implemented by Meghna Petroleum and India’s Numaligarh Refinery Limited, with the Indian government providing financial support.
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