KUALA LUMPUR - Bangladesh, with a population of about 175 million, has limited strategic oil reserves and depends mainly on imports and operational storage to meet its energy needs.

New Delhi is expected to supply 180,000 tonnes of diesel to Dhaka this year through the pipeline following Bangladesh’s request for additional supplies.

Senior official at Bangladesh’s Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Monir Hossain Chowdhury said the government may request more fuel from India as the country prepares reserves for April.

“We are working for the reserves of April as the reserves are sufficient for this month (March). 

“Proposals and necessary work are in progress. But, if the war situation deescalates, then the crisis of fuel, including in Bangladesh, will be resolved shortly,” he added.

Chowdhury said Bangladesh mainly depends on Malaysia and Singapore, among others, for fuel oil imports.

Chairman of Petrobangla, Md. Arfanul Hoque said the West Asia conflict has delayed several gas shipments under existing agreements, including with Qatar.

Bangladesh is also importing diesel from countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Indonesia and India to maintain supply through alternative sources.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Anindya Islam said Bangladesh now has multiple sources for diesel imports.

He said diesel can be transported easily through the pipeline from the Numaligarh Refinery in India.

“We are starting the process of importing 120,000 tonnes of oil from Brunei.

In addition, it can also be imported from the United States. This will bring more diversity in the sources of import,” he said.

Bangladesh authorities have also ordered nationwide school closures and introduced fuel rationing as long queues formed at petrol stations.

Tensions escalated after Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb 28, reportedly killing more than 1,200 people, including former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran later responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and several Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

Iran also disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that normally handles about 20 million barrels of oil daily and around 20% of global liquefied natural gas trade.