Govt seeks $2.8b ITFC loan for fuel oil, LNG, fertiliser imports

The government plans to borrow $2.8 billion from the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) to finance imports of fuel oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fertiliser in fiscal year 2026-27. To this end, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) stressed that ITFC reduces its financing markup and the deal allows letters of credit (LCs) to be opened through any Bangladeshi bank. The corporation also proposed provisions allowing Bangladesh to import oil and gas from any energy-rich country, including but not limited to member states of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), in order to strengthen energy security and meet emergency requirements. According to officials at the Economic Relations Division (ERD), negotiations on the financing proposal will take place during the Annual Financing Plan Meeting (FY2026-27) scheduled for 21-24 June in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The final financing amount is also expected to be determined during the meeting. The Bangladesh delegation will be led by ERD Secretary Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Energy and Mineral Resources Division Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam, and Agriculture Secretary Dr Rafiqul I Mohamed. According to ERD sources, a preparatory meeting held on 4 June decided on borrowing of $2.01 billion for fuel oil imports by BPC, $600 million for LNG imports by Petrobangla, and $200 million for fertiliser imports by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC). BPC informed the meeting that its financing requirement for fuel imports in the current fiscal year was $1.65 billion, of which $700 million has already been disbursed. Due to rising global oil prices, the corporation requested a higher financing ceiling for the next fiscal year. The meeting also decided to conduct a comparative analysis of fuel procured through ITFC financing and fuel purchased directly from the spot market to strengthen Bangladesh's negotiating position. Petrobangla officials said the company had largely avoided excessive borrowing during FY2025-26 thanks to a relatively stable economy, continued remittance inflows and adjustments to domestic gas prices. However, the conflict involving Iran has disrupted LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy transit routes. As a result, Petrobangla plans to utilise the full $600 million financing facility available under existing agreements. According to its FY2026-27 plan, major long-term suppliers, including QatarEnergy, OQ Trading Limited and Excelerate Gas Marketing Limited Partnership, have declared force majeure until June 2026, increasing Bangladesh's dependence on alternative sources and spot-market purchases. Petrobangla expects to use financing for at least two LNG cargo purchases in June 2026 and plans extensive utilisation of the remaining balances under its existing financing agreements. ERD sources said ITFC had planned a $500 million financing package for BADC in FY2025-26, comprising $200 million in confirmed financing and $300 million in contingency support. A $100 million agreement for fertiliser imports was signed in September 2025. However, due to the ongoing Middle East crisis, ITFC has temporarily suspended the financing and the funds have yet to be disbursed. BADC said Bangladesh had already agreed to receive up to $500 million in financing support from ITFC for food security purposes. However, the initial $100 million facility was tied exclusively to fertiliser imports from Saudi Arabia and remains unavailable because of regional instability. ITFC has also requested additional information and documentation to process a further $200 million financing facility. BADC has proposed that the remaining $200 million be released quickly and made available for fertiliser imports from any country in the world. It also recommended that future financing agreements avoid country-specific restrictions and allow imports from any source, particularly member countries of the Islamic Development Bank. Participants at the preparatory meeting agreed that these proposals should be presented during the upcoming negotiations with ITFC. ITFC operates as an autonomous member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The IsDB has been supporting Bangladesh since 1977. It began financing fuel oil imports for BPC in 1997, and since 2008 the support has continued through ITFC. Between 2008 and FY2025-26, ITFC provided approximately $21.77 billion to support Bangladesh's energy security. BPC imports Murban crude oil from ADNOC in Abu Dhabi and Arabian Light crude from Saudi Aramco. Janata Bank currently opens import LCs for Murban crude, while ITFC provides financing to settle payments. ITFC has also been directly financing Arabian Light crude imports after Agrani Bank stopped opening LCs due to the dollar shortage. For LNG imports, ITFC signed a $100 million facility in 2024 and a $300 million facility in 2025, both extended until 2027 at a financing cost of SOFR plus 1.75%. Although a total LNG financing ceiling of $600 million has been approved for Petrobangla, it has not yet been fully utilised. ITFC also provided $100 million to BADC in FY2025-26 for fertiliser imports at a rate of six-month USD SOFR plus 1.75%, along with a 0.20% administrative fee. ERD officials said an ITFC delegation visiting Bangladesh in May 2026 expressed interest in continuing support for the country's growing energy needs and expanding financing into agriculture. The ERD emphasised that food and agricultural security are now as important as energy security and formally requested that ITFC increase its overall financing ceiling to $3.5 billion for FY2026-27. The proposal reflects rising global commodity prices, growing import demand and the need to safeguard Bangladesh's supply chains. ITFC acknowledged the request and said any increase in financing would depend on Bangladesh's formal proposals and financing requirements. An inter-ministerial preparatory meeting will finalise Bangladesh's position before the Jeddah negotiations.