Two additional vessels carrying a total of 51,000 tonnes of fuel have arrived at Chattogram Port, offering some relief amid ongoing concerns over energy supplies.
Port officials confirmed that the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Central Star brought in 26,000 tonnes of octane from Malaysia, while MT Eastern Quince delivered 25,000 tonnes of furnace oil.
Both vessels anchored at the Bravo and Charlie anchorages of the port on Wednesday, according to Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim.
The arrival comes at a time when Bangladesh has been facing supply disruptions due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Following the outbreak of conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran on 28 February, shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz was significantly affected. This led to delays in the arrival of several fuel shipments, putting pressure on domestic supply chains.
To mitigate the impact, the government has taken steps to diversify sourcing and ensure continued fuel imports. Officials said additional shipments are on the way, with at least five more vessels carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) expected to reach Bangladesh by 15 April.
Despite the challenges, port sources noted that supply operations have remained active. Since the onset of the conflict, around 45 vessels carrying various energy products, including LNG, LPG, crude oil, gas oil, monoethylene glycol (MEG), high sulfur fuel oil (HSFO), and base oil, have successfully arrived in the country.
Authorities remain optimistic that the steady arrival of fuel shipments will help stabilise the energy supply situation in the coming weeks.
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