Bangladesh is considering increasing diesel imports from India through an existing cross-border pipeline as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raise concerns over fuel supply stability.
Officials are reviewing plans to make greater use of the pipeline linking Siliguri in India with the Parbatipur depot in Dinajpur to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply, particularly in the country’s northern region.
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation has a 15-year agreement with India’s Numaligarh Refinery Limited to import diesel through the pipeline at a premium of $5.50 per barrel.
Under the agreement, diesel is normally delivered four times a year, but the government is now considering importing fuel monthly until June to strengthen supply.
A Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation official said a working paper on the proposal was sent to the government on Sunday.
The agreement allows Bangladesh to import up to 180,000 tonnes of diesel through the pipeline in 2026.
Of the total volume, 120,000 tonnes will be imported under firm commitment, while an additional 60,000 tonnes can be purchased if required.
Former National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports member secretary Anu Muhammad said increasing pipeline imports could be beneficial under current circumstances.
“The circumstances under which the agreement was signed were not very favourable for Bangladesh. However, under the current reality it is a reasonable initiative,” he said.
He also suggested Bangladesh explore similar fuel supply arrangements with Myanmar to diversify supply sources.
At the same time, he urged stronger monitoring to prevent artificial shortages and called for measures to conserve fuel consumption.
Bangladesh also imports fuel from India through maritime shipments supplied by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation Limited under a government-to-government arrangement.
The company began supplying fuel to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation in 2020 and was enlisted as a government-to-government supplier in 2022.
Bangladesh imported 184,118 tonnes of fuel from Indian Oil Corporation Limited in 2023, including 131,948 tonnes of diesel and 52,170 tonnes of octane.
Imports rose to 351,117 tonnes in 2024, including 263,992 tonnes of diesel, 13,987 tonnes of jet fuel, 73,513 tonnes of furnace oil and 26,655 tonnes of octane.
In 2025, Bangladesh imported 132,907 tonnes of fuel from the company, including 112,502 tonnes of diesel and 10,805 tonnes of jet fuel.
For the January–June period of this year, Bangladesh has agreed to import 105,000 tonnes of fuel from Indian Oil Corporation Limited, including 20,000 tonnes of diesel, 10,000 tonnes of jet fuel, 50,000 tonnes of furnace oil and 25,000 tonnes of octane.
Officials said pipeline imports are faster and cheaper than transporting fuel through Chattogram Port and distributing it by tanker, making the system important for maintaining stable supply in northern districts.
