Government Approves Purchase of 1.6 Million Metric Tons of Diesel to Meet Urgent Fuel Needs

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the purchase of 1.6 million metric tons of diesel and 100,000 metric tons of gasoline through direct international procurement to meet urgent domestic fuel demands. The approval was granted during a virtual meeting chaired by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury on Saturday afternoon (April 4).

According to sources, the approval comes in the context of geopolitical instability following the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States-Israel alliance. The government has granted in-principle approval to import 1 million metric tons of EN590-10 PPM diesel (5%) and 100,000 metric tons of 95-octane unleaded gasoline from UAE-based DBS Trading House FZCO.

Additionally, the Cabinet Committee has approved the import of 100,000 metric tons of 50 PPM sulfur diesel from UAE-based Maxwell International SPC and 500,000 metric tons of high-speed diesel/AGO from Kazakhstan’s Kazakh Gas Processing Plant LLP under direct procurement.

Officials said these measures aim to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply across the country and mitigate the impact of regional fuel market volatility.