On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina will launch the first India-Bangladesh energy pipeline via video conference.

With an estimated cost of Rs. 377 crore, it will be the first cross-border pipeline between Bangladesh and India. The total cost includes the Rs. 285 crore spent on laying the portion on the Bangladesh side.

On Friday, in a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the India-Bangladesh friendship pipeline via video conference on March 18 at 1700 hours (IST)”.

“This is the first cross-border energy pipeline between India and Bangladesh, built at an estimated cost of INR 377 crore, of which the Bangladesh portion of the pipeline, built at a cost of approximately Rs. 285 crore, has been borne by the government of India under grant assistance”, it added.

The pipeline can transport one million metric tonnes of high-speed diesel per year.

It will initially provide high-speed diesel to seven districts in northern Bangladesh.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “The operation of the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline will put in place a sustainable, reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly mode of transporting HSD from India to Bangladesh, and will further enhance bilateral cooperation in energy security”.

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