India may transport Russian gas and oil to Bangladesh, says Economic Times

India is exploring the possibility of emerging as a transit country to transport Russian oil and gas to Bangladesh after Turkey said it would like to act as a transit country for such supplies, said a report by The Economic Times. 

According to The Economic Times, Delhi is exploring ideas to assist in transit given its geographical location and strong political ties with Dhaka. 

Turkish ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman Turan said on Wednesday (16 November) that his country would be "more than happy" to help Bangladesh by becoming a transit country for Russian energy supplies, which the south Asian country needs to tackle fuel shortages.

It comes as Turkey is eyeing to increase its influence in Bangladesh and India has been monitoring the trajectory of Bangladesh-Turkey ties over the past few years.

In South Asia, besides India, Sri Lanka has purchased fossil fuel from Russia amid its economic crisis. Bangladesh has been eyeing discounted Russian oil to meet its growing energy and power sector demands.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday (20 November) hoped that the import of fuel oil from India through pipeline will start next year.

Oil import from India thru pipeline to start next year: PM

"Bangladesh wanted to import oil from India through pipeline and hopefully it will start from the next year," the prime minister said this while the speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly Biswajit Daimary called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.

The 130-km India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFPL) project aims to export oil products from the Siliguri Marketing Terminal in West Bengal to Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina also said that the border haats between Bangladesh and India in different parts of the border between the two countries will resume their function as those were stopped during the coronavirus pandemic period.