Fuel oil transport from Chattogram to Dhaka begins via pipeline

Fuel oil is now being transported from Chattogram to Dhaka through a direct 242-kilometer pipeline, marking the first such operation in Bangladesh to enhance energy security and speed of supply.

Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, inaugurated the pipeline on Saturday (August 16).

Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said he was pleased the Chattogram-Dhaka fuel oil pipeline had started, calling it a step in technological progress amid limited natural resources. He noted that increased competition in petroleum imports now saves 1,400–1,500 crore taka annually and highlighted the need to reduce wastage and corruption.

Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan expressed his satisfaction over the launch of fuel oil transportation through the Chittagong-Dhaka pipeline, describing the project as a step in technological progress. "With limited natural resources and depleting natural gas, Bangladesh must advance through technology and rely on its human resources," he said.

Responding to cost concerns, he cited delays due to COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. He also praised the Bangladesh Army for completing the project and stressed boosting local value addition and reducing dependence on foreign contractors.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) said the pipeline reduces transport time from 48 hours by river to just 12 hours and is expected to save at least Tk 226 crore annually. The automated system allows oil supply to other depots across the country.

Officials said the pipeline will reduce transport risks, lower costs, and improve efficiency in the country’s energy distribution system.

Project Director Engineer Aminul Haque said the pipeline system is fully automated and safe, allowing oil to be distributed from the Narayanganj and Fatulla depots to other locations across the country.

BPC Chairman Md. Amin ul Ahsan noted that oil flow through the pipeline can be fully controlled from the control room, citing a successful trial supply of 32,000 tons of diesel in June.

The project, funded by BPC and executed by the Bangladesh Army, began in October 2018 and was completed in March 2025. It features a 242-kilometer, 16-inch pipeline from Patenga to Siddhirganj, with an additional 8-kilometer extension to Fatulla. A new petroleum depot has been built in Cumilla, and storage reservoirs have been installed for Padma Oil and Meghna Petroleum in Siddhirganj, and for Jamuna Oil and Meghna Petroleum in Fatulla.