India pumps 5,000 tonnes of diesel into Bangladesh amid global oil supply disruptions
Fuel has been sent through Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline
Amid global oil supply disruptions triggered by the ongoing West Asia war, India has begun supplying around 5,000 metric tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh through a cross-border pipeline from the Numaligarh Refinery in Assam, according to official sources.
The diesel is being pumped through the Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline to Bangladesh’s Parbatipur depot in Dinajpur district, with pumping beginning at about 3.20 pm on Monday and the consignment expected to reach storage tanks by Wednesday evening.
Officials of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), as quoted by Bangladeshi media, said the fuel was being supplied to help address growing concerns over fuel availability as the war in West Asia disrupts global energy markets and shipping routes.
The shipment is being transported from the Numaligarh Refinery through the 131-km Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline that connects the Siliguri marketing terminal in India with the Parbatipur depot in northern Bangladesh.
According to BPC officials, it takes around 44 hours to transport about 5,000 tonnes of diesel through the pipeline, with pumping taking place at a rate of roughly 113 tonnes per hour.
The pipeline, inaugurated in March 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, marked the first cross-border energy pipeline between the two countries and significantly reduced the time and cost required to transport diesel compared to the earlier rail-based system.
Before the pipeline became operational, Bangladesh had been importing diesel from the Numaligarh refinery through rail wagons since 2016. The direct pipeline has since streamlined the supply chain and strengthened bilateral energy cooperation.
The latest supply also comes as Dhaka faces a growing energy crunch amid disruptions in oil flows.
Officials said the 5,000-tonne consignment forms part of a longer-term arrangement under which India supplies diesel to Bangladesh through the pipeline. Under the agreement, up to 1,80,000 tonnes of diesel are expected to be supplied annually, with discussions also underway for additional shipments in the coming months to stabilise fuel stocks.
