India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Inaugurated, Energy Cooperation Between the Two Countries Expected to Increase
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP) in virtual mode. The foundation stone for the construction of this pipeline was laid by both the Prime Ministers in September 2018. The Ministry of External Affairs has issued a press release stating that Numaligarh Refinery Limited has been supplying petroleum products to Bangladesh since 2015. This is the second cross-border energy pipeline between India and its neighbours.
Cooperation in the power and energy sector has become a hallmark of India-Bangladesh relations. IBFP is the first cross-border energy pipeline between India and Bangladesh with a capacity to transport 1 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) high-speed diesel to Bangladesh. Better connectivity with Bangladesh will further strengthen the people-to-people ties between the two sides. Bangladesh is India’s top development partner and its largest trading partner in the region. The operationalisation of the Maitri pipeline will enhance the ongoing energy cooperation between the two countries and lead to development in Bangladesh, especially in the agriculture sector.
The Indian Prime Minister thanked PM Sheikh Hasina for her constant guidance on the project and expressed his desire to continue working with her for the benefit of the people of both the countries. This adds another chapter to India’s flagship ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’.
