India completes fuel transportation thru Bangladesh

India has completed the transportation of fuel oils from Assam to Tripura through Bangladesh under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Dhaka and Delhi on August 18, said sources concerned. The timeframe of the MoU, under which India transported 400 tonnes of fuel oils from Assam to Tripura in 40 oil tankers, expired on Friday (September 30) and there has been no request from the Indian side to extend the MoU, they said.
Bangladesh allowed the shipment from Assam to Tripura, which was suffering from fuel shortage as fuel oils could not be transported from Assam due to damaged road caused by flood, on humanitarian ground, said the sources.
However, they added that road taxes from the Indians have been realised.
In the past as well, Bangladesh had allowed transhipment of large quantity of food grains to Tripura through Bangladesh on humanitarian ground. It also allowed Bangladeshi territory to carry ODC (over dimensional cargo) to the Palatana power project in Tripura.  “The timeframe of the MoU expires today and we haven’t yet received any request from India to extend the timeframe,” Subodh Kumar Sarkar-- Additional Chief Engineer for Technical Services Wing of the Roads and Highways Department -- who signed the MoU for Bangladesh, told The Independent.
A senior foreign ministry official as well as couple of engineers of the Roads and Highways Department also confirmed the matter to this correspondent. “A total of 40 oil tankers with a capacity of 10 tonnes each entered Bangladesh through the Dawki-Tamabil border in four consignments and re-entered India via Chatlapur- Kailasahar border covering about 140 kilometres of Bangladeshi territory,” an engineer of the Roads and Highways Department said.
“Out of the 40 tankers, 7 carried LPG (liquefied petroleum gas),” he said, adding, “There was security arrangement while the convoys were in Bangladesh territory.”
Having talked with the Indians who were involved with the shipment, it was learnt that the usual route of transportation is bad and the terrain is hilly, making the transportation hazardous as well as expensive, the sources said.
As compared with that, the Indians said that the Bangladeshi roads are plain and very convenienty short.
The sources said that they feel the Indians may like to use this route again due to its convenience.
“Based on conversation with them (Indians), I feel this shipment has been a case study for them,” said a source.
When contacted, a senior government official concerned said, “We will consider this if or when the request from India comes. If they want to use the route regularly then arrangement and terms and conditions will be certainly different.”
“Let’s just wait,” he added.
Tripura had been suffering from fuel shortage for quite a while due to the damage of the usual Indian highway caused by the recent floods. And, India made a request to Bangladesh to allow its territory to transport fuel oils.  
Following the request from the Indian side, Bangladesh responded positively and a short-term MoU was signed between the Roads and Highways Department and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), a public sector unit under their ministry of petroleum and natural gas.
The MoU has facilitated transportation of petroleum goods (motor spirit, high speed diesel, superior kerosene oil & liquefied petroleum gas) from Assam to Tripura through Bangladesh territory.

India completes fuel transportation thru Bangladesh

India has completed the transportation of fuel oils from Assam to Tripura through Bangladesh under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Dhaka and Delhi on August 18, said sources concerned. The timeframe of the MoU, under which India transported 400 tonnes of fuel oils from Assam to Tripura in 40 oil tankers, expired on Friday (September 30) and there has been no request from the Indian side to extend the MoU, they said. Bangladesh allowed the shipment from Assam to Tripura, which was suffering from fuel shortage as fuel oils could not be transported from Assam due to damaged road caused by flood, on humanitarian ground, said the sources. However, they added that road taxes from the Indians have been realised. In the past as well, Bangladesh had allowed transhipment of large quantity of food grains to Tripura through Bangladesh on humanitarian ground. It also allowed Bangladeshi territory to carry ODC (over dimensional cargo) to the Palatana power project in Tripura. The timeframe of the MoU expires today and we havent yet received any request from India to extend the timeframe, Subodh Kumar Sarkar-- Additional Chief Engineer for Technical Services Wing of the Roads and Highways Department -- who signed the MoU for Bangladesh, told The Independent. A senior foreign ministry official as well as couple of engineers of the Roads and Highways Department also confirmed the matter to this correspondent. A total of 40 oil tankers with a capacity of 10 tonnes each entered Bangladesh through the Dawki-Tamabil border in four consignments and re-entered India via Chatlapur- Kailasahar border covering about 140 kilometres of Bangladeshi territory, an engineer of the Roads and Highways Department said. Out of the 40 tankers, 7 carried LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), he said, adding, There was security arrangement while the convoys were in Bangladesh territory. Having talked with the Indians who were involved with the shipment, it was learnt that the usual route of transportation is bad and the terrain is hilly, making the transportation hazardous as well as expensive, the sources said. As compared with that, the Indians said that the Bangladeshi roads are plain and very convenienty short. The sources said that they feel the Indians may like to use this route again due to its convenience. Based on conversation with them (Indians), I feel this shipment has been a case study for them, said a source. When contacted, a senior government official concerned said, We will consider this if or when the request from India comes. If they want to use the route regularly then arrangement and terms and conditions will be certainly different. Lets just wait, he added. Tripura had been suffering from fuel shortage for quite a while due to the damage of the usual Indian highway caused by the recent floods. And, India made a request to Bangladesh to allow its territory to transport fuel oils. Following the request from the Indian side, Bangladesh responded positively and a short-term MoU was signed between the Roads and Highways Department and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), a public sector unit under their ministry of petroleum and natural gas. The MoU has facilitated transportation of petroleum goods (motor spirit, high speed diesel, superior kerosene oil liquefied petroleum gas) from Assam to Tripura through Bangladesh territory.