Bangladesh inks pact to help New Delhi tackle fuel crisis

In a major development the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) and the Roads and Highways Department of People’s Republic of Bangladesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Dhaka which will enable New Delhi to send fuel and petrol products to Tripura via Bangladesh.

Tripura is facing an acute fuel crisis for the past three months owing to total closure of the National Highway 8, the only lifeline for the Northeastern state which is bounded by Bangladesh on three sides.

The MoU will enable the IOCL to send its trucks carrying motor spirit, high speed diesel, superior kerosene oil and liquefied petroleum gas from Meghalaya to Tripura via Bangladesh, an official source said. The validity of this pact is till end of September. Both sides have also agreed to extend the transit facility for a further short period on need basis.

The work on the broad gauging in the northeastern region has shifted the goods vehicle traffic onto the roads. Further due to heavy rain in the region, the roads, including NH 8, have been affected resulting in non plying of goods trucks, including those carrying petroleum goods to Tripura. This has led to scarcity of essential petroleum goods, an official statement added.

The Bangladesh government, given the friendly, multi-dimensional and expanding bilateral relations between the two countries, agreed to India’s request for facilitation of the movement of IOCL trucks carrying petroleum goods to Tripura through its territory, the statement further added.