The government has decided to import fuel from the neighboring country India to meet the country’s demand. The government will import 10 lakh metric tonnes petroleum from India through a pipeline, sources said. In this regard, 130 kilometre pipeline will be constructed under the ground for smooth supply of fuel to the country.
The pipeline will be constructed from Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) at Shiliguri in India to Parbotipur depot in Bangladesh to supply petroleum smoothly easily. The Ministry of Power, Energy & Mineral Resources has taken a project named ‘India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline’ and proposed to construct the pipeline with its own fund, sources also said.
Officials of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) said the government is thinking the future demand of fuel for the country’s northern region. So the government has decided to import diesel through NRL terminal located at Shiliguri to Parbotipur depot. The project estimates Tk 308.56 crore for the land acquisition for constructing the pipeline. Meghna Petroleum will implement the project with BPC’s own fund. The project will be implemented by three year.
The project is awaiting for the approval of the executive committee of the national economic council (ECNEC), a senior official of the planning commission said.
According to the BPC, the demand of petroleum is 58 metric tonnes in Bangladesh every year. Due to the existing gas crisis in the country, the demand of petroleum has been increasing. After 2021, gas exploration from old gas well will reduce. The demand of petroleum for Dhaka and nearest area is around 15 lakh metric tonnes while 5.80 lakh metric tonnes for northern region of the country.
Now demand of petroleum has been increasing for communication, agriculture and industrial sectors. The use of petroleum based oil like diesel has increased for power production and industrial sector as gas has become scarce. In Northern region, industries are being established to produce agriculture products. So, 5.80 lakh metric tonnes of petroleum is needed for the region. Moreover, irrigation season will start from November to April. Petroleum provides to the northern districts through waterway and railway.
