NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the Rs 377 crore India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP) virtually on Saturday. The pipeline will start a new chapter in India-Bangladesh ties, Modi said at the inauguration. Currently, diesel is supplied to Bangladesh through a 512-km rail route. The 131. 5-km pipeline will supply up to 1 million tonnes per annum of diesel from Numaligarh in Assam to Bangladesh.
This would not just help save on transportation costs but also reduce carbon footprint of moving the fuel, Modi said. IBFP is the first cross border energy pipeline between India and Bangladesh with a capacity to transport 1 Million Metric Ton Per Annum (MMTPA) of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) to Bangladesh, said the government. It is also only the second cross-border energy pipeline between India and its neighbours.
“In the last few years, Bangladesh has made remarkable progress. Every Indian is proud of that and we are delighted that we have been able to contribute to this development journey of Bangladesh,” Modi said in his address at the virtual event. “I am confident this pipeline will further accelerate the development of Bangladesh, and will be an excellent example of increasing connectivity between the two countries,” he added.