ERL, a subsidiary of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, supplies around 40% of the country's current petroleum products demand and thus maintains stability in the petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) products market of the country.

ERL sometimes becomes the only fallback system available to avoid product crises in the face of disruption of products' imports.

[2] ERL, as a profitable company in the public sector, contributes substantially to the national exchequer in the form of dividend, taxes, VAT etc.

[3] Eastern Refinery was incorporated under the Indian Companies Act 1913 as a public limited company in 1963[4] with 35% EPIDC's (East Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation) shares, 30% shares held by Burmah Oil Company and the rest 35% by private entrepreneurs.

From November 1985, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) became the 100% share holder of the company.