Bangladesh Ramps Up Diesel Imports From India Via Friendship Pipeline Ahead Of Eid Travel Surge

Bangladesh is set to import an additional 45,000 tonnes of diesel from India in the coming weeks as authorities prepare to meet rising fuel demand ahead of the Eid al-Fitr travel season.

Officials from the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) said the imports are part of measures to stabilise fuel supplies as millions of people are expected to travel across the country during the festival holidays.

According to BPC, 5,000 tonnes of diesel have already arrived from India, while another 5,000 tonnes shipment is expected around 18 or 19 March. Authorities are also preparing to bring in an additional 40,000 tonnes once the required financial and procedural steps are completed.

“We have received a proposal to import an additional 40,000 tons of diesel from India. Once the procedural work is completed—that is, the opening of the LC and other formalities, this 40,000 tons of diesel will also arrive in Bangladesh by April,” said Md Murshed Hossain Azad, General Manager (Commercial & Operations) at BPC.

The fuel is transported through the Bangladesh–India Friendship Pipeline, which connects the Numaligarh Refinery Limited in India to the Parbatipur fuel depot in northern Bangladesh.

The cross-border pipeline was jointly inaugurated in March 2023 by Narendra Modi and former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to facilitate faster and more reliable energy trade between the two countries.

Before the pipeline became operational, diesel was largely transported from India to Bangladesh by railway wagons, a process considered slower and more logistically demanding.

Officials noted that pipeline-based shipments had briefly paused under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, but deliveries resumed after the new administration headed by Tarique Rahman assumed office.

The additional imports come amid increased fuel demand following concerns about potential supply disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

Authorities had temporarily rationed fuel sales earlier, but the restrictions have since been lifted to ensure smooth travel during the Eid holidays.

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