28 lakh litres of diesel imported from India thru cross-border pipeline

Bangladesh has received the second parcel of fuel from India through the cross-border Indo-Bangla Friendship Pipeline, which was inaugurated four months ago, for fuel oil trade.

On 29 July, some 28 lakh litres of diesel fuel were supplied from Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) of Assam to Parbatipur depot in Dinajpur, said pipeline implementing authorities.

"Another two to three parcels of fuel are scheduled to be transported within this month," they added.   

Currently, fuel delivery through this pipeline remains slow as the new storage tanks are yet to be completed.

As an import-dependent country for liquid fuel, Bangladesh used to receive fuel at the Chattogram Port, and transport it to the northern region via the Mongla Port and the railway. The country also used to import a portion of fuel from neighbouring India via railway wagons.

The process costs both time and money, which also keeps fuel supply in uncertainty for the consumers of the country's 16 northern districts during the irrigation period.

Bangladesh and India inaugurated their first ever cross-border energy pipeline on 18 March this year.

The 131.57km pipeline connecting Siliguri in West Bengal and Parbatipur in Dinajpur is expected to help Bangladesh to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply to its northern districts, and deliver one million tonnes of fuel annually.

During the inauguration, around 90 lakh liters of fuel were imported from India through this pipeline.

The direct cross-border pipeline will carry fuel oil to Parbatipur without any of the hassle currently experienced, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) Chairman ABM Azad told The Business Standard.

Earlier, around 0.85 million tonnes of diesel were imported annually from India to the Parbatipur depot through railways to meet a part of the northern region's total fuel demand, and the rest was delivered through roads and railways.