Bangladesh has decided to import a large volume of diesel from India to meet its fuel demand for the year. The neighbouring country will procure 1.8 lakh tonnes of diesel from Assam’s state-owned Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) by December 2026, under an ongoing long-term fuel supply agreement between India and Bangladesh. The decision to go ahead with the import plan was taken at a meeting of the Government Purchase Advisory Committee held at the Dhaka Secretariat. The meeting was chaired by Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed. Officials said the move is aimed at ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted supply of fuel during the year.
The total value of the diesel import has been estimated at Tk 1,462 crore (Bangladeshi Taka). Under the existing agreement, the price has been calculated with a premium rate of USD 5.50 per barrel. Numaligarh Refinery Limited, which is a subsidiary of Oil India Limited, will be responsible for supplying the fuel. Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Mohammad Fouzul Kabir Khan clarified that this supply is not being made under any new or revised contract. Instead, it is part of a 15-year agreement signed earlier during the tenure of the previous Bangladesh government. He said that the diesel requirement continues to be covered under that framework.
The imported fuel will be transported through the India–Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, which connects Assam with Bangladesh and allows cross-border supply of refined petroleum products. Officials believe that the continued use of the pipeline will help strengthen economic and energy cooperation between the two countries.