India ‘considering’ Bangladesh’s request for extra diesel amid Middle East escalation
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New Delhi is “considering” Dhaka’s requests for additional diesel supplies to help the neighbouring nation manage a potential energy crisis triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, shared the information during a media briefing on Thursday.
Responding to queries regarding requests for energy or citizen evacuation assistance from neighbours like Bangladesh and Nepal, Jaiswal noted that India remains a major exporter of refined petroleum products in the region.
"We have received a request from the Bangladesh government for diesel supply, which is currently under consideration," Jaiswal said.
He added that the decision would be based on India's refining capacity, domestic demand, and overall availability of the fuel.
Highlighting the "people-centric and development-oriented" relationship between the two countries, the spokesperson recalled that India has been supplying diesel to Bangladesh since 2007 through waterways, railways, and more recently, the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline.
The fuel is sourced from the Numaligarh Refinery in Assam.
Jaiswal also pointed out that a formal agreement was signed in October 2017 between Numaligarh Refinery and the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to facilitate and increase these supplies.
Similar requests for additional diesel have been received from Sri Lanka and the Maldives, according to the diplomat.
The briefing also addressed the arrest of Faisal Karim Masud and his associate Alamgir Hossain in West Bengal.
Faisal is the prime suspect in the murder of Sharif Osman bin Hadi, convenor of Inqilab Moncho.
When asked about the potential extradition or handover of the suspects to Bangladesh, Jaiswal declined to provide a detailed response.
"The matter is currently being investigated by law-enforcing agencies. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on it at this stage," he said.