Bangladesh’s Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, told Parliament on Sunday that dishonest traders are illegally stockpiling and black-marketing fuel, creating an artificial shortage at filling stations. He clarified that no directive has been issued to limit fuel sales or apply color markings on motorbikes, but panic buying and hoarding have contributed to the perceived crisis.

The minister said there is no actual fuel shortage in the country and cited the foreign affairs state minister’s earlier statement affirming this. To maintain normal supply, district and upazila administrations, along with Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) tag officers, have been deployed nationwide. Mobile courts have conducted 9,116 operations, filed 3,510 cases, imposed fines totaling 15.6 million taka, and recovered 542,000 liters of fuel. Awareness campaigns and law enforcement actions are ongoing to curb illegal storage and black marketing.

Mahmud added that the government has introduced a pilot fuel card system at several Dhaka filling stations to enhance transparency in fuel distribution. If successful, it will be expanded nationwide.