US Ignores Letter Requesting Permission to Buy Fuel from Russia

❐ Special Correspondent

Bangladesh is on the verge of running out of fuel. In such a situation, Washington ignored Bangladesh’s letter to the US House of Representatives seeking permission to import fuel oil from Russia. Bangladesh has not received any response to that letter till now.

This was stated by Monir Hossain Chowdhury, spokesperson and joint secretary (operations division) of the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources.

When asked about the progress of the letter seeking permission from the United States to import fuel oil from Russia, Monir Hossain Chowdhury said, “We have not received a response so far.”

He made this information known yesterday at a press conference on the overall energy situation at the Secretariat.

Monir Hossain claims that Bangladesh has adequate fuel reserves, there is no crisis. There is no problem with diesel either.

He said, “We are importing according to the monthly plan. The oil tankers are arriving as planned. We are completely safe until April.”

Earlier, last Monday (March 30), the spokesperson of the Energy Department at the Secretariat said, “As you know, the US had given a sanctions waiver to India for importing oil from Russia. I was also present in the government’s meeting with the US State Department the day before Eid. There, we tried to convince them that they should allow us to import diesel from Russia for at least two months or 600,000 metric tons, and grant a sanctions waiver.”

That day, Monir Hossain further said, “At that time, the US authorities asked us to send a letter. We sent the letter the day after Eid, on March 22nd. Now we are waiting for a reply. That is all the progress in this regard.”

Twelve days have passed, but there has been no response from the United States so far.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman is optimistic that the United States will positively consider the request for special concessions to buy refined diesel and other petroleum products from Russia. The Foreign Minister said that US Energy Secretary Chris Wright gave the assurance during a meeting in Washington.

The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed this information in a statement on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the Foreign Minister discussed the crisis facing Bangladesh due to disruption of the energy supply system through the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war.

At a press conference on the energy situation yesterday, an energy spokesperson said that even though there is no energy crisis, everyone should be economical in their energy consumption at this time.

Meanwhile, in order to save electricity and energy, it has been decided to close all shops, malls and shopping malls across the country from the evening. However, hotels, pharmacies, shops providing essential services and raw markets are exempt from this rule.