The Chattogram-Dhaka oil pipeline project, initially approved in October 2018 with a completion target of December 2020, continues to face delays despite multiple deadline extensions—first to 2022, now to December 2024. Originally estimated at Tk 28.61 billion, project costs have surged to Tk 36.99 billion. Even though physical construction of the 237.71-kilometre pipeline from Patenga in Chattogram to Godanail in Narayanganj is largely complete, fuel transportation has not commenced due to pending pre-commissioning work.
The delay undermines the core objective of saving Tk 2.3 billion annually in transportation costs and shifting away from inefficient and corruption-prone tanker-based fuel distribution. It also hampers faster, safer, and more cost-effective supply of petroleum—especially High-Speed Diesel crucial for agricultural output in the northern districts.
Experts blame bureaucratic inefficiency, indecision, and possible administrative negligence at Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) for the hold-up. With the transition from an autocratic regime and the promise of reform, further delay is unacceptable. Each day lost postpones major economic, industrial, and agricultural benefits—at a time when the nation urgently needs energy security, cost efficiency, and transparency in state operations.
