DHAKA, Bangladesh / NEW DELHI

Bangladesh has secured diesel imports from several nations including India, Malaysia, and Singapore to help ease a squeeze in energy supplies due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

India has started supplying around 10,000 metric tons of diesel to Bangladesh through the Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline (BIFP).

Monir Hossain Chowdhury, a senior official at the Energy and Mineral Resources Division of Bangladesh’s government, told Anadolu that they have received 10,000 metric tons this month via the BIFP.

The BIFP, inaugurated in 2023, was built to transport imported fuel efficiently and reduce costs for Bangladesh. The country of 175 million people lacks significant strategic oil reserves, relying on limited operational storage and immediate imports.

New Delhi is set to supply Dhaka with 180,000 tons of diesel this year through the pipeline, following Dhaka’s reported request for additional supplies from India.

Under the pact with India, the government is likely to request additional supplies as fuel reserves will be needed for April, Chowdhury said.

“We are working for the reserves of April as the reserves are sufficient for this month (March). Proposals and necessary work are in progress. But, if the war situation deescalates, then the crisis of fuel, including in Bangladesh, will be resolved shortly,” he added.

Bangladesh mainly depends for fuel oil on Malaysia and Singapore and some others, said Chowdhury.

China, Indonesia, other sources

Md. Arfanul Hoque, who chairs Petrobangla, the state authority for gas and LNG, told Anadolu that due to the crisis in the Middle East, some of their ships are stuck and unable to bring gas under existing agreements, including with Qatar.

Bangladesh is importing diesel from various countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, and India, which helps to ensure supply from alternative sources.

Anindya Islam, the state minister for power, energy and mineral resources, told local daily Prothom Alo that there are now many sources for diesel imports.

Diesel is being easily brought through the pipeline from the Numaligarh refinery in India.

He said: "We are starting the process of importing 120,000 tons of oil from Brunei. In addition, it can also be imported from the United States. This will bring more diversity in the sources of import."

Authorities in Bangladesh have ordered nationwide school closures and implemented fuel rationing to conserve resources, amid long queues at gas stations.

Since Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, so far killing more than 1,200 people, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, hostilities have escalated.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.

Iran also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz around March 1. The strategic waterway normally handles about 20 million barrels of oil shipments daily and roughly 20% of the global liquefied natural gas trade.