Four tankers carrying 141,000 tonnes of diesel arriving in the country

Three diesel-carrying tankers (ships) are scheduled to arrive at Chattogram Port today, Friday. Another one is expected to arrive on Sunday. Altogether, four tankers are bringing 141,000 tonnes of diesel.

This amount of fuel will be enough to meet demand for about 12 days. According to sources at the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), as of yesterday, Thursday, the country had a stock of 155,000 tonnes of diesel. Once the diesel from the four new tankers is unloaded, the total stock will rise to around 296,000 tonnes.

This will be sufficient to meet demand for approximately 25 days. Port sources said three tankers—MT Oaktree, MT Cape Bonny, and MT Lian Song Hu—are set to dock today. Another tanker, MT Golden Horizon, is expected to arrive on Sunday.

Nazrul Islam, managing director of the local agent Pride Shipping Lines, said all the tankers are expected to reach the port within three days as per schedule. Concerned officials believe that the uncertainty surrounding diesel supply this month will ease with the increased imports.

According to BPC data, about 63 per cent of the country’s total fuel demand depends on diesel. In the 2024–25 fiscal year, total diesel demand in the country was around 4.35 million tonnes.

A large portion of this is met through direct imports, while about 700,000 to 750,000 tonnes are produced annually through refining crude oil. Diesel is used across multiple sectors.

A significant portion of road transport—such as buses, trucks, pickups, covered vans, and freight vehicles—runs on diesel. It is also used to operate irrigation equipment in agriculture, run waterway vessels, and power generators in many industries.

Around 24 per cent of the country’s diesel consumption goes to the agricultural sector. During electricity shortages, some power plants also use diesel. As a result, the transport, agriculture, industry, and power sectors are all heavily dependent on diesel.