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Govt set to import oil worth Tk12,537cr from China, Indonesia
The refined oil will be imported directly through the government-to-government basis, bypassing the open bidding process
Daily Sun Report, Dhaka
Published: 16 Sep 2026, 09:27 PM
The
government on Wednesday approved the direct purchase of refined oil worth Tk12,537
crore from Chinese and Indonesian state companies to help meet the country’s
energy demand.
The Finance
Ministry issued a notification in this regard, saying the purchases will be executed on government-to-government basis -- but the ministry did not specify the amount
of oil to be imported.
Direct purchases are approved chiefly to help meet energy demands on an “urgent basis,” owing to sudden or unexpected supply disruptions at home or abroad.
Amid the
continued blockades on the Strait of Hormuz, the renewed Saudi-Houthi conflict near
the Bab al-Mandab Strait threatens to disrupt another crucial global energy
chokehold, sending prices further into uncharted territory.
The Cabinet
Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) approved the latest refined oil import
plan in a meeting on Wednesday, and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
(CCEA) gave its in-principle approval.
CCEA also
gave in-principle approval for the import of 6.95 lakh tonnes of gas oil and
jet fuel through the direct purchase mechanism.
The
government has already imported LNG and LPG supplies multiple times through the
direct purchases since August.
There is a
general rule that fuel will be imported through the direct and open international
bidding process on a 50:50 ratio.
However, on
Wednesday, officials decided to relax the rule, the Finance Ministry said.
In line
with the decision, China’s state companies Unipec and Petro China, and
Indonesia’s BSP will export the refined oil worth Tk12,537 crore.