Another 8,000 metric tons of diesel has arrived at Dinajpur’s Parbatipur Railhead Oil Depot from India’s Numaligarh Refinery Limited center via the Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline. The process is underway to bring in an additional 5,000 metric tons of diesel through this pipeline on April 17. Officials indicated that a total of 40,000 metric tons of fuel will be imported via this pipeline this month.
Kazi Md. Rabiul Alam, Manager (Operations) of Meghna Petroleum Limited, who is responsible for this operation, confirmed the matter on Saturday (April 11) morning.
He stated, “The reception of 8,000 metric tons of diesel was completed late Friday night. Another parcel of 5,000 metric tons is expected on April 17.”
Officials mentioned that a total of 40,000 metric tons of fuel is expected to be imported from India through four consignments in April. Of this, 8,000 metric tons have already arrived.
Earlier, in the first three months of the current year, a total of 22,000 metric tons of diesel fuel arrived in Bangladesh from India through the pipeline in four consignments.
This diesel oil reached the receipt terminal of the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline project at the Parbatipur Railhead Oil Depot in Dinajpur from India’s Numaligarh Refinery center in Assam. From there, the fuel is supplied to Padma, Meghna, and Jamuna companies at the railhead oil depot.
It is noteworthy that the supply of fuel oil (diesel) directly to the Parbatipur Railhead Oil Depot via pipeline from India ensures an uninterrupted, year-round supply of diesel to the northern districts. The construction of this 131.57-kilometer underground pipeline began on September 18, 2018, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. The import of fuel oil from India via the pipeline officially commenced on March 18, 2023.
According to the agreement between the two countries, India will supply diesel for the next 15 years, with an annual import volume of 2 to 3 lakh tons of fuel. The import quantity will be increased later based on usage, cost, and demand. BPC (Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation) also informed that this pipeline has the capacity to import 10 lakh metric tons of oil annually from India. Previously, it took 6 to 7 days for oil to reach the northern regions from Khulna and Chattogram by rail wagons.
