BPC Forms Six-Member Committee to Review Super Petrochemical Refinery Project

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has formed a six-member committee to assess the progress, processing capacity and overall status of Super Petrochemical’s refinery project.

The committee has been instructed to conduct an on-site inspection of the company’s plant, review relevant media reports and collect detailed information before submitting a report to the BPC chairman within seven days.

The committee was formed through an official order signed by BPC Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the government Shahina Sultana on Tuesday (August 25).

BPC Secretary Shahina Sultana said the committee was formed after a note from the Operations Department received approval. She said the committee had been asked to review reports published by several media outlets and submit its findings within seven days.

According to the BPC order, BPC Additional General Manager (Accounts) A.T.M. Selim has been appointed convener of the committee, while Deputy Manager of the BPC Commerce and Operations Division Tanzin Hossain has been appointed member secretary.

The other members are BPC General Manager (Finance) Morshed Hossain Azad, General Manager (Distribution and Marketing) Ferdousi Masum Himel, General Manager (Commerce and Operations) Zahid Hossain, and Eastern Refinery PLC Deputy General Manager (Planning and Shipping) Md. Masudul Alam.

The committee will visit Super Petrochemical’s plant and examine its processing capacity, ongoing development activities and overall progress. It will then submit a detailed report to the BPC chairman.

Several media reports concerning Super Petrochemical’s refinery project have also been attached to the committee formation order.

According to BPC records, Super Petrochemical submitted an application on September 25, 2024, seeking permission to import, store, process and market petroleum products produced from crude oil under the government’s Policy for Establishment of Private Refineries, Import, Storage, Processing, Transportation and Marketing of Crude Oil-2023.

Following the application, BPC formed a committee under instructions from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division. The six-member committee was formed on October 23, 2024, with then General Manager (Distribution and Marketing) Zahid Hossain as its convener. An official from Eastern Refinery was later co-opted into the committee.

On February 19, 2025, the committee inspected Super Petrochemical’s CRU plant and proposed project site in Juldha Union, located on the southern bank of the Karnaphuli River.

Following the inspection and review of the application, the committee submitted its report to the BPC chairman on April 8. The report was subsequently forwarded to the Energy and Mineral Resources Division on April 20.

Super Petrochemical Managing Director Mohammad Mostafa Haider submitted a fresh application to the Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources on January 29, 2026.

In the new application, the company stated that it was developing a crude oil refinery with an annual processing capacity of 1.5 million metric tonnes to produce Euro-5 standard petroleum products.

Once completed, the project is expected to raise the company’s annual production capacity to 1,546,381 metric tonnes.

The proposed refinery will include a Crude Distillation Unit, Diesel Hydrotreater, Residue Desulfurization and Isomerization units, according to the application.

Following the new application, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division sought BPC’s opinion on February 3. The matter was subsequently reviewed at the 1,017th meeting of the BPC Board held on February 8.

The board noted that the Unit-2 project of Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL) had already been approved. Once implemented, the project is expected to significantly increase the country’s public-sector petroleum refining capacity.

Against this backdrop, the board observed that the proposal to allow Super Petrochemical to import, store, transport and process crude oil and market the resulting petroleum products under its own management required further review.

The newly formed six-member committee will now assess the physical progress of the refinery project, its processing capacity and ongoing development activities.

Committee Member Secretary Tanzin Hossain said, “The committee has now been formed. It will thoroughly examine all aspects of the matter and submit a comprehensive report.”

The committee is expected to submit its findings to the BPC chairman within seven days. Further decisions regarding the refinery project will be taken after reviewing the committee’s report.