BPC to import 1.3 lakh tonnes of diesel from India this year

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has decided to import 1.30 lakh tonnes of diesel from India's Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) this year.

The decision was made at the 1,000th board of directors meeting of the company on Sunday.

According to BPC Director (Operations and Planning) Anupam Barua, the diesel will be imported in phases: 70,000 tonnes between January and June, and 40,000 tonnes from July to December. An additional 20,000 tonnes have been earmarked for emergency needs.

The proposal was sent to the Energy and Mineral Resources Division for approval and the import process will start after getting approval, Anupam said.

Sources said the demand of the BPC for refined fuel oil now stands at 74 lakh tonnes. Of them, 46 lakh tonnes are diesel and 80% of it is imported directly, while the rest comes from local refineries.

According to sources, BPC regularly imports refined fuel oil from India's Numaligarh Refinery Limited. The oil has been imported through trains since January 2016.

Bangladesh-India alliance pipeline has been built between the two countries to increase the quantity of oil coming from the refinery. Fuel oil comes from Numaligarh to Parbatipur in Dinajpur through the pipeline.