India begins diesel supply to Bangladesh amid fuel shortage

India has begun supplying 5,000 tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh through a cross-border pipeline to help the neighbouring country address an ongoing fuel shortage, officials said on Monday.

The diesel consignment is being transported through a pipeline connecting the two countries. Confirming the development, Muhammad Rezanur Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), said the supply forms part of an existing agreement between the two sides.

“We have an agreement with India, and according to that agreement India will supply 180,000 tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh via the pipeline each year. The 5,000 tonnes of diesel we are importing now is part of that agreement,” Rahman said.

Under the arrangement, Bangladesh plans to import about 90,000 tonnes of diesel within six months, with 5,000 tonnes arriving each month. Officials said the supply is expected to stabilise the country’s fuel availability over the coming months.

The move comes at a time when Bangladesh authorities are investigating alleged irregularities in the fuel market. Earlier, the government conducted inspections at fuel stock stations following reports that some traders were illegally stockpiling diesel to create an artificial shortage in the market.

In a statement, the Bangladesh government said certain unscrupulous traders were hoarding fuel stocks beyond the prescribed limit in an attempt to manipulate prices and disrupt normal supply.

To address the crisis, the government has fixed maximum fuel stock limits based on vehicle categories. Authorities said there will be no restrictions on sales within the approved limits, but additional stocks kept for excessive profit will be treated as illegal.

Officials added that tenders are also being floated for open market fuel imports to further strengthen supply.

As part of enforcement measures, mobile courts were deployed in several areas to inspect fuel stations and check illegal hoarding. The City Filling Station, Tejgaon Dakhla, and Clean Fuel Tejgaon stations were among those inspected during the drive.

Authorities said mobile court operations will continue, with strict action to be taken against any violations of fuel storage regulations.