Bangladesh is considering a strategic move to refine Russian crude oil in India to tackle supply disruptions linked to conflicts in West Asia. The Energy and Mineral Resources Division has submitted a request to engage with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a government-to-government (G2G) agreement. Under this arrangement, Bangladesh would cover the costs associated with importing crude oil, refining it in India, and transporting the processed fuels back to Bangladesh. The country's only state-owned refinery in Chittagong is primarily configured to process Middle Eastern crude and is ill-suited for the heavier grades of Russian crude. Currently, it has an annual refining capacity of 1.5 million tonnes. Bangladesh's Foreign Minister recently discussed increasing diesel imports from India, which is facilitated through an existing cross-border pipeline from Siliguri to Parbatipur. The pipeline supports imports from Numaligarh Refinery Limited under a 15-year agreement signed in 2023. The recent temporary waiver of US sanctions on Russian oil exports presents Bangladesh with a unique opportunity to explore indirect imports, including a proposal to import up to 600,000 tonnes of Russian diesel.