Fuel in tanks but shortage at pumps

The Tarique Rahman government insists that the country has sufficient fuel reserves and that the supply chain remains stable.

Yet across cities and highways, motorists continue to queue at filling stations, raising a pressing question: if the reserves are adequate, why are consumers struggling to buy fuel?

The apparent contradiction has triggered speculation that the shortage being experienced at many fuel stations may not be entirely due to supply constraints but rather the result of hoarding, panic buying, or manipulation within the distribution system.

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku said the country’s fuel supply remains normal and that the volume of oil being delivered to filling stations has not changed since before the outbreak of the Iran war.

According to him, the same amount of fuel that previously lasted one to one-and-a-half days at filling stations is now being sold out within two hours as demand has suddenly surged.

Speaking to reporters in Sirajganj on Friday, the minister maintained that the country has adequate reserves and there is no reason to fear a supply crisis.

However, he acknowledged that some “unscrupulous traders” may be attempting to create an artificial shortage through illegal stockpiling and black-market activities.

Government officials say Bangladesh typically maintains about two weeks of fuel reserves as a strategic buffer. The current stockpile is believed to be even larger.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation has previously stated that existing reserves include approximately 14 days of diesel, 15 days of petrol, and significantly longer coverage for other fuels such as jet fuel and furnace oil.

Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani also said recently that Bangladesh currently holds roughly a month’s supply of fuel and that the government is working to further increase reserves in response to the ongoing global energy crisis.

Despite these assurances, the situation at fuel stations paints a different picture.

During a visit to a filling station in Dhaka’s Motijheel area, this correspondent observed long lines of vehicles waiting for fuel.

A local BNP ward leader supervising the distribution of fuel to vehicles insisted that there was no shortage and that customers were receiving the amount they needed.

But many motorists expressed frustration.

“Our minister says the country has huge reserves of fuel,” said one motorcyclist waiting in line.

“Then why are we not getting oil easily? Why do we have to struggle for it? The government should identify who is collecting large quantities of fuel and creating this artificial crisis.”

Authorities say they have begun taking action against illegal hoarding.

The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources announced that citizens who provide specific information about illegal fuel stockpiling will be rewarded.

Vigilance teams have already been formed in districts across the country to monitor fuel supply and distribution.

Field-level enforcement operations have also begun.

In Chattogram’s Patenga area, authorities recovered around 6,000 litres of diesel stored illegally in 30 drums during an anti-hoarding raid. Meanwhile, in Gomastapur upazila of Chapainawabganj, a mobile court fined a petrol pump that had displayed a “no fuel” sign despite having nearly 9,800 litres of petrol, diesel and octane in storage.

Officials say such incidents reinforce suspicions that parts of the supply chain may be manipulating the situation to trigger panic buying or pressure the government into raising fuel prices.

At the same time, Bangladesh’s energy security remains closely linked to global developments, particularly in the Middle East.

The country imports about 63 percent of its fuel from Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, while a significant share of its liquefied natural gas comes from Qatar.

Bangladesh spends more than $10 billion annually on oil and LNG imports.

Disruptions in the Middle East — especially around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz — therefore have direct implications for its energy supply.

Amid tensions in the region, Iran has reportedly allowed oil tankers destined for Bangladesh and several other “non-hostile” countries to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Officials in Dhaka say Bangladeshi vessels are not currently subject to restrictions, easing concerns that geopolitical tensions might choke off supply routes.

Energy shipments have also continued to arrive at Bangladeshi ports. On Thursday, a tanker carrying more than 31,000 tonnes of diesel from Singapore reached the outer anchorage of Chattogram Port.

According to port data, 28 energy vessels have arrived since the beginning of March, delivering more than 790,000 tonnes of energy products including LNG, LPG, gas oil and fuel oil.

The steady arrival of cargoes suggests that supply at the national level remains intact.

That leaves a growing debate within policy circles: if imports are arriving, reserves remain stable, and shipments continue, is the shortage experienced by consumers primarily a distribution problem — or something more deliberate?
For now, the government insists the crisis is not real but engineered.

Whether enforcement measures against hoarding and black-market activities will stabilize the situation at the pump remains to be seen.