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Bangladesh has formally requested a temporary sanctions waiver from the United States to import Russian diesel, officials said on Monday.
The request comes as ongoing turmoil in the Middle East continues to disrupt global energy supplies and put pressure on fuel availability in many countries.
According to energy ministry officials, Dhaka has asked for a waiver similar to the one previously granted to India. The proposal includes importing up to 600,000 tonnes of Russian diesel.
“The letter has been submitted… we are now waiting for their response,” said Monir Hossain Chowdhury, Joint Secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division.
With a population of over 175 million, Bangladesh imports around 95 percent of its energy needs. State-owned agencies have been actively sourcing fuel from the international market to meet domestic demand. The government has been rationing fuel in recent months, although restrictions were temporarily relaxed during the Eid al-Fitr festival.
“We are trying to procure fuel from anywhere possible, including the United States, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Angola, and Australia,” Chowdhury added.
Bangladesh is also increasing imports from its traditional suppliers. The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) is scheduled to import 40,000 metric tonnes of diesel from India’s Numaligarh Refinery Limited in April — nearly double the volume received in March, according to a senior BPC official.
In addition, the country is seeking more than $2.5 billion in external financing to support imports of fuel and liquefied natural gas, as it struggles with rising energy costs and tightening foreign exchange reserves amid global market volatility.
