Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) built the Mongla Oil Installation to facilitate fuel supply in several districts of the country’s southwest. A jetty, constructed at a cost of Tk 205 crore, was designed to allow imported oil vessels to unload directly. However, not a single ship has docked there so far, leaving most of the storage tanks largely empty.
Although fuel supply from the installation began in 2019, operations for imported oil vessels have never been possible. As a result, the jetty and its associated equipment are deteriorating from lack of use.
It is alleged that navigability problems in the Pashur River are long-standing, and no proper feasibility study appears to have been conducted before the jetty’s construction.
BPC started the Mongla Oil Installation project in 2014 and completed it in 2019. Operational activities for fuel distribution began in May 2019, with the depot equipped to handle imported oil vessels. After the main installation in Patenga on the banks of the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram, this was the only facility created in Khulna for handling imported oil ships. The total cost of the project was Tk 205.46 crore.
The installation has a storage capacity of 100,000 tons of fuel, with 14 tanks in total—one for furnace oil. Of the remaining 13 tanks, five store Padma Oil, while four store Meghna and Jamuna Oil. On-site observation shows that most tanks remain empty for most of the year, with only 20–25% of their capacity being used.
The Mongla section of the Pashur River, where the installation and Mongla Port are located, suffers from inadequate dredging. As a result, large oil vessels cannot enter the river, preventing the modern jetty from being used. Even the storage tanks cannot be fully utilized.
Speaking to Jago News, Probir Hira, manager of the Mongla Oil Installation and involved in the project’s implementation, said: “This installation was built to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply in Khulna and surrounding areas. Fuel is delivered here to dealers, distributors, and petrol pumps. The facility is equipped with modern features, including firefighting systems.”
Fuel is supplied from Chattogram MI through lighterage for diesel and furnace oil. However, the navigability issue in the Pashur River prevents large ships from docking.
Energy expert M Shamsul Alam told Jago News: “Many projects in the energy sector have been poorly planned. To ensure fuel security, petroleum reserves should have been increased in advance, but no effective measures were taken. Even the Mongla depot cannot be fully utilized.”
On allegations of inadequate feasibility studies, he added: “If the feasibility study had been properly conducted, the facility would not remain unused. In six years, not a single ship has docked at the jetty. This raises questions about whether the feasibility study was done correctly—or done at all. Investigations occur in our country, but results are rarely disclosed.”
Former BPC Director (Operations) Dr AKM Azadur Rahman, before his transfer, told Jago News: “The Mongla MI jetty is not being used because of the depth problem in the Pashur River. This is the main issue—without sufficient depth, imported oil vessels cannot dock at the jetty.”
Regarding whether proper feasibility studies were conducted, he added: “It is difficult to comment on whether the construction of Mongla MI was carried out properly or if there were any lapses without a detailed review.”