US sanction won’t be baring to import Russian fuel: Tawfiq-e-Elahi

Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury believes that the US sanction will not be a bar to import Russian petroleum fuel.

Referring to meeting with US Under Secretary Jose Fernandez during his recent USA visit, he said that he was communicated that the import of food, fuel and fertiliser is out of the preview of the US sanctions imposed on Russia due to its war against Ukraine.

“This is my is realization from conversation with US Under Secretary. The import of Russian fuels will not cross the US sanctions” he told reporters while addressing a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday.

Tawfiq Elahi said that since the United States has no restrictions on food products, fertilizers and fuel, Washington should not have any objection if Bangladesh imports oil from Russia.

He said, there are some diplomatic norms in this case. But simply as “I understand it, when it is said at a ministerial level, it has an importance.”

The adviser also said that the US Under Secretary praised Bangladesh and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Based on that praise, he wants to know if there is an opportunity to import oil from Russia.

Last week, following a high-level meeting of the government, Prime Minister’s adviser on private industry and investment, Salman F Rahman, told reporters that oil import from Russia is not possible due to the US sanctions.

In a press conference, senior secretary of the energy division Mahbub Hossain said that currently Bangladesh has the petroleum reserve capacity for 45 days.

“Now we have set a target to increase it to 60 days-capacity,” he said the project is being implemented to increase the petroleum reserve capacity to 3 million tonnes from the existing from 1.5 million tonnes.