87,700 litres of illegally stockpiled fuel seized in a single day

Amid an ongoing fuel crisis, authorities conducted operations across the country on Monday (March 30), recovering 67,400 litres of diesel, 6,444 litres of octane, and 13,856 litres of petrol. In total, 87,700 litres of illegally stockpiled fuel were seized in a single day.

The Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources shared the information in a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 31).

According to the ministry, 391 operations were carried out nationwide, resulting in 191 cases being filed. A total of Tk 935,070 in fines has been imposed.

Additionally, one person in Satkhira district was sentenced to two months in prison, another in Chandpur district received a one-year sentence, and a person in Gazipur district was given a one-month prison term.

The ministry added that magistrates from the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources are continuing these operations.

The fuel crisis in Bangladesh has been exacerbated by global instability in the Middle East following attacks and retaliatory strikes in Iran, triggering a severe global fuel shortage. As a result, vehicle owners in Bangladesh are facing long hours of waiting at petrol pumps almost daily to purchase fuel.