Dhaka, March 12 -- Saudi Arabian oil company Saudi Aramco has offered Bangladesh an alternative route to carry the stranded 100,000 tonnes of crude oil, avoiding the restricted Strait of Hormuz, say sources.

"Aramco intends to carry the stranded crude oil from the Ras Tanura port to Yanbu port through a 150km pipeline for shipment to Bangladesh via the shorter Red Sea to Bay of Bengal route," a senior official of state-run Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) told The Financial Express Wednesday.

To carry the Saudi crude oil, Bangladesh would have to pay wheeling charge to the tune of around $0.53 per barrel, he said.

For carrying the entire 100,000 tonnes, the total wheeling charge would be around $400,000, he also said.

A Banglade...