Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Maldives seek petroleum supplies from India: MEA

India has received requests for petroleum products from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, according to Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

These requests come amid global fuel supply disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia involving the US, Israel, and Iran. Bangladesh is currently facing shortages of petrol and diesel and has already received diesel shipments from India while requesting additional supplies.

“India is a major supplier of petroleum products to its neighbouring countries. Diesel deliveries to Bangladesh continue via waterways, rail, and the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline in partnership with Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation,” Jaiswal explained. He noted that India will consider its domestic diesel needs and refining capacity before fulfilling further requests from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.

Officials clarified that diesel supplied to Bangladesh through the Friendship Pipeline is part of routine bilateral energy trade. The pipeline, inaugurated by Narendra Modi and then Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, transports diesel from Numaligarh Refinery Limited and has been operational since 2015. It has a capacity of 1 Million Metric Ton Per Annum (MMTPA) of high-speed diesel.

The Chairman of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, Muhammad Rezanur Rahman, confirmed that 5,000 tonnes of diesel were imported from India yesterday via the Parbatipur border.

In related developments, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has held three recent discussions with Iran’s Foreign Minister, focusing on shipping safety and India’s energy security, Jaiswal added, while noting that further details are premature at this stage.