Bangladesh seeks safe passage documents for fuel tankers through Hormuz
Araghchi said, ‘Safe passage is being provided to friendly countries, including Bangladesh, while adversaries’ vessels are barred’
Bangladesh is working on collecting documents regarding the safe passage of its fuel-carrying vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, as stated by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the Chairman of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), Md Rezanur Rahman, confirmed.
Araghchi said, "Safe passage is being provided to friendly countries, including Bangladesh, while adversaries' vessels are barred."
Speaking to The Business Standard today morning (27 March), Rezanur added, "We learned this from news reports published in the media. We are attempting to collect the relevant documents."
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Bangladesh relies heavily on Middle Eastern imports, with around 80% of its fuel transported through the Strait of Hormuz.
Controlled passage through the strait, which usually handles 120 ships daily, has dropped nearly 95% this March due to regional conflict.
Following a formal request on 15 March, Tehran asked for details of vessels carrying fuel and LNG.
The Energy Division provided a list of six vessels scheduled for April, carrying about 5 lakh tonnes of LNG and 79,000 tonnes of crude oil.
Officials say Iran's assurance will help Bangladesh secure energy imports from Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, China, and India, reduce reliance on the spot market, and ease rising fuel costs.
Bangladesh has requested written guarantees before dispatching its crude oil vessel Nordic Pollux, and plans to charter a Turkish ship have been halted.
