Govt moves to end fuel disorder nationwide

Ashraful Islam Mohon visited five different fuel stations in an attempt to refuel his motorcycle, only to return empty-handed. He is not alone.

Thousands of motorists across the country have faced similar difficulties, standing in long queues for hours as they struggle to obtain fuel.

In response to such growing disorder, the government has introduced a series of stringent measures aimed at ensuring smooth and fair fuel distribution across the country.

Authorities have decided to appoint “tag officers” at petrol stations, conduct mobile court drives and enforce stricter fuel distribution protocols to prevent hoarding and artificial shortages.

Despite assurances that the country has sufficient fuel reserves, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has instructed the Home Minister to take strict action against smuggling and deliberate scarcity, while urging Members of Parliament to remain vigilant in their respective constituencies.

Chief Whip Nurul Islam conveyed these directives to reporters after a meeting of the ruling party parliamentary committee at Parliament House on Saturday afternoon.

The Chief Whip said the government is actively subsidising fuel to stabilise prices amid rising global costs and reassured that there is currently no shortage.

He warned that any attempt to create an artificial crisis or manipulate the market would face firm action under the Prime Minister’s directives.

To strengthen monitoring, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel have been deployed at 19 fuel depots in nine districts to prevent illegal hoarding, maintain order in fuel marketing and ensure uninterrupted supply.

The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has also introduced a revised fuel distribution schedule as part of enhanced oversight measures.

Petrol pumps have been instructed to publicly display daily supply information, including fuel type, average daily supply in March 2025 and March 2026, and the quantity delivered on the current day, in a move aimed at ensuring transparency and preventing irregularities.

Under the new system, fuel dispatch from all major installations and depots under BPC’s marketing companies will take place between 7:00am and 3:00pm.

Officials say the revised timing is designed to streamline distribution and ensure that filling stations and dealers receive supplies in an orderly and predictable manner.

The initiative follows a series of enforcement operations, including the formation of district-level monitoring teams and the deployment of tag officers nationwide.

In Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan areas, BPC will appoint tag officers, while deputy commissioners will assign officers in other district and divisional cities.

Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) will oversee appointments in upazila-level stations.

Government figures show that 293 mobile court drives were conducted across 62 districts in a single day, resulting in 78 cases and fines totalling Tk 315,550.

In one notable operation at Jui Enterprise in Jamalpur, officials recovered around 2,500 litres of petrol stored in 12 drums despite claims that supplies had run out.

The pump manager was fined Tk 50,000 under the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009, for creating an artificial shortage.

Officials say these coordinated measures reflect the government’s determination to maintain uninterrupted fuel supply, protect consumers from market manipulation and ensure transparency amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that have affected global oil markets.