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The Ministry of External Affairs has responded to reports about Bangladesh’s worsening energy crisis and Dhaka’s request for additional diesel supplies from India.

Bangladesh has been facing a severe energy crisis in recent days, with its Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud reportedly seeking more diesel from India. Responding to the request, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India was considering Bangladesh’s demand while keeping its own requirements in mind.

MEA On Bangladesh’s Diesel Request

Jaiswal said India’s energy cooperation with Bangladesh is ongoing and that the additional demand is being assessed based on India’s own requirements, refining capacity and availability.

“Our energy cooperation with Bangladesh is ongoing. As far as the additional demand is concerned, we are considering it keeping in mind our own requirements, our refining capacity and availability on our side,” Jaiswal said.

Bangladesh Grapples With Power Cuts

According to a report by the Dhaka Tribune, rural areas of Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, have been experiencing power cuts lasting between eight and 10 hours.

The situation has reportedly prompted the Tarique Rahman government to direct shopping malls, shops and markets to close by 8 pm to conserve electricity.

Bangladesh Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said on August 16 that the country could take at least two years to resolve the energy crisis.

He said constructing a floating LNG terminal would take around one-and-a-half to two years, making it difficult to resolve the crisis until then.

Public anger has reportedly grown as power generation declines and the government orders load-shedding. Electricity distribution companies in several districts have sought assistance from police headquarters and law-enforcement agencies to strengthen security at their offices.

Bangladesh Government Under Pressure

Bangladesh’s Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud has acknowledged the government’s limited capacity to deal with the crisis, saying there is no alternative to managing load-shedding.

Speaking on Thursday, he said, “I just want to say that we are working. At this time of crisis, I cannot do anything, because now I cannot extract gas, and without an FSRU (Floating Storage and Regasification Unit), I cannot extract even the gas that I have.”

Against this backdrop, Bangladesh has sought additional diesel supplies from India, with New Delhi saying it is assessing the request based on its own requirements and available capacity.