India reviewing positively Bangladesh request for additional diesel supply

Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Pranay Verma told The Financial Express on Monday that New Delhi was reviewing the request in right earnest.

"Bangladesh is a very important friend of India and we want to provide all possible support for its progress," said the diplomat when asked about India's response to Dhaka's request for extra diesel supplies.

"We are reviewing the request positively," he added.

An official of the Ministry of External Affairs, India, said India would also need to assess its domestic stock position and the production capacity of Numaligarh Refinery Limited before taking a final decision.

Bangladesh has been on the lookout for increased fuel imports from multiple alternative sources to address the ongoing challenges in the energy sector and ensure stable supply.

As part of this effort, the government is planning to import an additional 50,000 tonnes of diesel from India, according to officials familiar with the matter.

Officials at the Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh, said Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury raised the issue during a meeting with the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka on Sunday.

The government said the initiative was aimed at maintaining normal fuel reserves and ensuring uninterrupted supply across the country. If the deal with the companies concerned is finalised, officials believe, it would help stabilise the current energy situation.

Bangladesh currently imports diesel from Numaligarh Refinery through a cross-border pipeline arrangement.

Under the agreement between Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) and Numaligarh Refinery, the distillate fuel oil is transported through a pipeline connecting India's Siliguri depot to Bangladesh's Parbatipur depot.

The two sides signed a 15-year agreement on October 22, 2017 to facilitate pipeline supply of diesel.

Although Bangladesh is allowed to import up to 180,000 tonnes of diesel in 2026 under the agreement, officials say the country is currently purchasing around 5,000 tonnes per month, leaving room for an increase.

Officials from both governments have already discussed the matter at the diplomatic level, sources said.

Speaking separately on Monday, Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, said Dhaka expected cooperation from India on several bilateral issues.

"We want diesel, we want water from them," she said, referring to Bangladesh's request for fuel supplies and longstanding water-sharing concerns.

"As India claims to develop warm ties with Bangladesh after the assumption of the new government, let's see what their response to our needs be," she added.

Energy ministry data show India supplied Bangladesh with 35,718 tonnes of diesel in 2023, 28,204 tonnes in 2024 and 124,216 tonnes in 2025. Bangladesh has also imported jet fuel, furnace oil and octane from India at different times.

A senior official of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the government was also exploring alternative sources of fuel imports.

"We are planning to import from several sources besides India to ensure there is no shortage of oil," the official said.

"At present there is no shortage in stock. These plans are being made with future demand in mind, so there be no reason for public concern," he added.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com