No response from US over letter on Russian fuel purchase

Washington has not yet responded to Bangladesh's letter to the US seeking permission to import fuel oil from Russia. This was stated by Monir Hossain Chowdhury, spokesperson and joint secretary of the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources.

When asked about the progress of the letter sent by the US seeking permission to import fuel oil from Russia, Monir Hossain Chowdhury said, 'We have not received a response so far.'

He gave this information at a press conference organized on the overall energy situation at the Secretariat on Thursday (April 2).

Monir Hossain said, 'We have calculated that we have sufficient reserves. There is no crisis. There is no problem with diesel either. We are importing according to the monthly plan. The oil tankers are arriving as planned. We are completely safe until April.'

Earlier, the Energy Department spokesperson said at the Secretariat, 'Just as India was given a sanction waiver for importing oil from Russia, in the government meeting with the US State Department on the day before Eid, we tried to convince them that at least two months or six hundred thousand metric tons of diesel should be allowed to be imported from Russia' on Monday (March 30).

He also said, 'They asked to send a letter. The day after Eid (March 22) we sent that letter. Now we are waiting for a reply.'

Meanwhile, the United States will positively consider Bangladesh's request for special concessions to buy refined diesel and other petroleum products from Russia. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright assured Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman in a meeting in Washington. The Prime Minister's Office confirmed this information in a statement on Wednesday.

In the meeting, the Foreign Minister discussed Bangladesh's crisis due to disruption of energy supply through the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war.

At today's press conference, the Energy Spokesperson also said that even if there is no energy crisis, everyone should be economical in using energy at this time.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Shopkeepers' Association has decided to close all shops, markets and shopping malls across the country by 8pm to save electricity and energy. The decision was announced in a press release by the organization on Thursday (April 2).