However, controversy has emerged over the inquiry process itself, as the administrative note presented to the BPC board to form the committee also omitted any mention of the prior rejection. Furthermore, the official who prepared the board note has been appointed as the Member Secretary of the investigation panel.
According to an official order issued Tuesday (August 25) signed by BPC Secretary Shahina Sultana, the committee has been instructed to inspect Super Petrochemical’s plant, assess its processing capacity and project progress, and submit a detailed report within seven days.
The Investigation Panel Structure
The six-member probe committee is led by ATM Selim, Senior General Manager (Accounts) of BPC. Tanjin Hossain, Deputy Manager of BPC’s Commercial and Operations Division, serves as Member Secretary.
Other members of the panel include:
Morshed Hossain Azad: General Manager (Finance), BPC
Ferdousi Masum Himel: General Manager (Distribution & Marketing), BPC
Jahid Hossain: General Manager (Commercial & Operations), BPC
Md. Masudul Alam: Deputy General Manager (Planning & Shipping), Eastern Refinery PLC
The order directs the panel to review media reports alleging that Super Petrochemical continued refinery construction despite rejections of applications, conduct a physical inspection of the facility, and present its findings to the BPC Chairman.
Timeline of Applications and Omissions
Records show a sequence of regulatory submissions and rejections spanning over two years:
September 25, 2024: Super Petrochemical applied to the Energy and Mineral Resources Division under the Private Sector Refinery Policy 2023 to import, store, process crude oil, and market refined products independently.
April 20, 2025: Following a site inspection of the company's CRU plant in Juldha, Karnaphuli, a BPC inspection committee submitted a report to the ministry.
November 16, 2025: The Energy and Mineral Resources Division formally rejected Super Petrochemical’s application, citing provisions of the Condensate Policy 2014 that prohibit private fractionation plants from directly marketing refined petroleum products in the domestic market.
January 29, 2026: Super Petrochemical's Managing Director, Mohammad Mustafa Haider, submitted a fresh application to the Energy Secretary proposing a 1.5 million metric ton annual capacity crude oil refinery. The new application did not refer to the previous rejection or the 2024 application.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CHRONOLOGY OF REFINERY APPLICATION │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Sep 25, 2024: Initial application submitted to Energy Division │
│ • Nov 16, 2025: Energy Division formally REJECTS the application │
│ • Jan 29, 2026: Second application submitted (Omitted rejection info) │
│ • Feb 08, 2026: BPC Board meeting notes prior rejection & ERL-2 plans │
│ • Aug 23, 2026: Internal note prepared for probe (Omitted rejection) │
│ • Aug 25, 2026: 6-member probe committee officially formed by BPC │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Board Note Discrepancy and Official Responses
During BPC's 1017th board meeting on February 8, 2026, the board formally acknowledged the November 2025 rejection. The board noted that approving a private refinery required deeper evaluation, particularly given the approved Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL) Unit-2 project, which aims to triple state refining capacity and fully utilize the Single Point Mooring (SPM) system.
However, the internal note sheet prepared on August 23, 2026, to institute the current inquiry omitted the rejection decision. The note was drafted by Deputy Manager Tanjin Hossain, endorsed by Manager Md. Istiaq Hossain and GM Mohammad Jahid Hossain, approved by Director (Operations) AK Mohammad Shamsul Ahsan, and signed off by Monjur Alam Pradhan, Additional Secretary of the Energy Division serving as acting BPC Chairman.
Addressing the omission, Member Secretary Tanjin Hossain stated:
"The rejection of Super Petrochemical's initial refinery application was communicated to higher authorities in a separate confidential letter. Therefore, it was not explicitly detailed in the committee formation note sheet. The newly formed committee will thoroughly verify all relevant aspects before submitting the final report."
BPC Secretary Shahina Sultana clarified that her office issued the order as standard practice after the Operations Division initiated and secured approval for the board note. Senior officials, including acting Chairman Monjur Alam Pradhan and Director (Operations) AK Mohammad Shamsul Ahsan, could not be reached for further comment.
The probe committee is expected to complete its field inspection in Juldha and present its findings by early September 2026.
