Bangladesh sought US permission to buy Russian oil

Photo: Collected ছবিঃ সংগৃহীত

News Desk: Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has said that Bangladesh has requested a special permission or temporary waiver from the United States to purchase oil from Russia. He added that Bangladesh has asked to be given a similar opportunity to the one granted to India.

He shared this information with journalists on Wednesday (March 11) after a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen at the Planning Minister’s office in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital.

The minister said that the United States has already provided India with a temporary waiver to buy Russian oil, and Bangladesh hopes to receive a similar opportunity.

“We have told them that if Bangladesh is given such an opportunity, it will be a great help for our economy,” he said, adding that the matter will be forwarded to Washington for consideration.

During the meeting, the current situation of the international energy market was also discussed. Amir Khasru said that uncertainty has emerged regarding the global supply of oil and gas, and in such a situation ensuring energy security has become increasingly important for Bangladesh.

He also mentioned that discussions were held on increasing investment, trade, and economic cooperation between Bangladesh and the United States. The issue of capacity building for various government institutions was also discussed.

Responding to a question from journalists, the finance minister said that no specific decision was made in the meeting regarding any potential trade agreement with the United States.

He said that a trade agreement is a matter between two countries and it is not possible to make any specific statement from Bangladesh’s side at this moment. However, the government is considering how the matter can be utilized in the best possible way for the country’s interests.

Regarding what steps the government may take if the current international conflicts become prolonged, he said the government is preparing by considering all possible scenarios.

The minister added that planning is being done with short-term, medium-term, and long-term conflict scenarios in mind, and these issues were also discussed in detail during the meeting.