India will supply 5,000 tons of diesel to Bangladesh via pipeline starting Tuesday through the Parbatipur border, confirmed Muhammad Rezanur Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC). “Under our agreement with India, the country is to deliver 180,000 tons of diesel annually through the pipeline. The 5,000 tons arriving now is part of this arrangement,” Rezanur told ANI.
Under the deal, Rahman added, at least 90,000 tons of diesel are to be imported within six months. “The consignment arriving today is 5,000 tons, and we hope that within the next two months, we will bring in the total diesel amount for the entire six months,” he said.
The fuel arrival comes as the Bangladesh government continues efforts to monitor stock levels amid reports of illegal hoarding. Earlier in the week, the energy ministry said that drives had been conducted to inspect the situation. “In the current crisis situation, various media outlets have reported that some unscrupulous traders are illegally stockpiling fuel in an attempt to create an artificial shortage in the market,” the ministry stated.
To tackle the fuel crisis, the Bangladesh government has imposed supply limits based on vehicle categories. However, authorities noted that some petrol stations are selling fuel beyond the approved quota, hoarding extra stock for profit, and in some cases, engaging in black-market sales or smuggling.
“To address this crisis, the government has already fixed fuel supply limits based on vehicle categories. Nevertheless, it has been observed that at various petrol pumps/filling stations, fuel is being sold in excess of the government-approved limit, additional stock is being hoarded for excessive profit, and there are tendencies of selling fuel on the open market and engaging in smuggling,” the ministry added.
In response, mobile court drives have been launched to curb illegal stockpiling and ensure compliance. Recent operations by the Executive Magistrate in Dhaka reported the following: City Filling Station, Tejgaon (MPL) has been dry since yesterday, with operations set to resume once new fuel arrives; Clean Fuel, Tejgaon (POPLC) is operating fully in line with government regulations.
