All you need to know about the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline via video-conference on Saturday (March 18, 2023). KEY FEATURES OF THE INDIA BANGLADESH FRIENDSHIP PIPELINE 1.This is the first cross-border energy pipeline between India and Bangladesh, built at an estimated cost of INR 377 crore. 2. The 131.5 km-long pipeline will carry High Speed Diesel from the marketing terminal of the Assam-based public sector Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in Siliguri, West Bengal, India. 3. The oil will be transported to the Parbatipur depot of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) in Dinajpur district, Bangladesh. 4.About 126.5 kms of this pipeline is in Bangladesh and 5 kms is in India. 5. The cost of the Bangladesh portion of the pipeline - approximately INR 285 crore - has been borne by the Government of India under grant assistance. 6.The IBFPL is a dedicated pipeline to supply High Speed Diesel for marketing inside Bangladesh by BPC. No customer will be served within Indian territory. 7. A Sale Purchase Agreement was signed between NRL and BPC in October 2017 for the sale of High Speed Diesel to BPC for a period of 15 years which can be extended further by mutual consent. 8.The Pipeline has a capacity to transport 1 Million Metric Ton Per Annum (MMTPA) of High-Speed Diesel (HSD). It will supply High Speed Diesel initially to seven districts in northern Bangladesh. 9.The ground-breaking ceremony for the IBFPL was held in September 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through video conferencing. 10. The IBFP is among a slew of recent development and connectivity projects taken up in Bangladesh with Indian assistance. The project reflects the priority India accords to Bangladesh under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.