Anisul Islam Noor :
A feasibility study to import diesel from India will be started soon as per the government’s decision taken in the inter-ministerial meeting held recently, power and energy ministry sources said.
After electricity, move to import diesel will be another sign of increasing joint cooperation between India and Bangladesh, official close to the project told The New Nation yesterday.
The government has considered it easy and economical to import diesel from
Numalighor Refinery Ltd (NRL) at Golarghat in the Northeast Indian state of Assam, bordering Bangladesh, said Yunusur Rahman Chairman of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).
“As NRL is in Assam, a pipeline via Shiliguri and Dinajpur will be needed to import diesel,” he said, adding that everything would be final after the feasibility study, BPC boss said. The report will be submitted within few days to the Power and Energy Ministry.
Feasibility assessment study will be operated by India-Bangladesh jointly for submission within three months. To complete the study, a sum of Tk eight crore to 10 crore will be required, said Mozammel Haq, Secretary of Energy Ministry.
Though NRL is situated in the area of Bharot Petroleum Corporation at Gholaghat in Assam, the main structure thereof is in Shiliguri. “A pipeline has crossed Shiliguri, which we will use to shrink the cost,” Mosleh Uddin said.
The distance from Shiliguri to Parbatipur (in Dinajpur) is 135 kilometers. The estimated cost of constructing the pipeline is Tk 1,000 crore, said the BPC official.
Bangladesh plans to import 10 lakh tonnes of diesel from India initially. The country will import 13 lakh tonnes of crude oil till December from several countries.
Experts said, as pipeline installation is lengthy process, the authorities need to assess the viability carefully, although oil import from India is cost effective. Presently, the country’s oil demand is 54 lakh tonnes, including 32 lakh tonnes diesel.
BPC Director (operation) Mosleh Uddin is the chief of drafting committee.
