The initial process of supplying fuel oil through a pipeline from Chattogram to the Dhaka region has begun.

Already, 20 million litres of diesel have been pumped from the Eastern Refinery in Chattogram. Experts refer to this process as "line packing."

The diesel is expected to reach Godnail on Tuesday. Later, it will be transported to the Fatullah depot.

Project director of the pipeline project, Md Aminul Haque, told The Daily Star, "The transfer of diesel from the Chattogram end started on February 11. It has already crossed Cumilla. A total of 31.7 million litres of diesel will be required to fill the entire pipeline."

He further stated that after the line packing is completed, fuel oil will be officially supplied to the Godnail and Fatullah depots via the pipeline in March.

He remarked that with this project, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation has entered a new era of fuel oil supply.

BPC officials said in addition to preventing fuel wastage and theft, the pipeline, which has a capacity of supplying 27 million litres of fuel oil, will save BPC around Tk 250 crores annually.

The BPC undertook this project in 2018.

Although the project was initially scheduled for completion by June 30, 2020, delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and other complexities postponed the work until 2022.