Govt Approves Purchase of 2 Lakh Tonnes of Diesel

Representational Photo: Collected

The government has approved the purchase of an additional 2 lakh tonnes of diesel and octane through direct procurement to address an emerging fuel supply situation amid global market disruptions linked to Middle East tensions.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase held on April 21 at the Cabinet Division, chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, according to the Ministry of Finance.

In addition, the purchase committee approved the import of 1.75 lakh tonnes of fuel, including 1.50 lakh tonnes of diesel and 25,000 tonnes of octane.

Officials said the procurement will be carried out under the direct purchase method in line with emergency requirements and government procurement procedures.

Under the approved plan, 50,000 tonnes of diesel and 25,000 tonnes of octane will be imported from DBS Trading House FZCO based in Dubai at a cost of Tk 1,023.61 crore.

Another 1 lakh tonnes of diesel will be imported from Archer Energy LLC at a cost of Tk 674.6 crore. The committee has also approved in principle the import of an additional 1 lakh tonnes of diesel from Archer Energy LLC and another 1 lakh tonnes from Mazda Oil Co Ltd.

Officials said all proposals require prior approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs before procurement and are executed following clearance from the purchase committee.

Beyond fuel imports, the committee also approved several development and supply-related projects.

These include consultancy services for the Dhaka Environmentally Sustainable Water Supply (DESWS) project under the Local Government Division. The contract, worth Tk 96.95 crore, has been awarded to Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG for a 24-month period starting September 2025.

In another decision, the committee approved the procurement of 3 crore hessian sacks by the Ministry of Food at an estimated cost of Tk 215.65 crore to strengthen the country’s food grain storage and distribution system.

Officials said each sack will have a 30kg capacity and will be used to improve handling and preservation of food grains across storage facilities nationwide.