Dhaka, April 2 (EP) — The government has assured that Bangladesh will not face any fuel shortage in April, as authorities move to strengthen supply management and introduce a digital fuel distribution system.
Joint Secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Monir Hossain Chowdhury, made the announcement at a press briefing held at the Secretariat on Thursday. He said the country remains “secure” in terms of fuel supply for April and confirmed that a mobile app for issuing fuel cards will be launched within a week to regulate fuel sales more efficiently.
He noted that among six vessels recently dispatched through the Strait of Hormuz, one is carrying crude oil destined for Bangladesh. Once it arrives, operations at Eastern Refinery are expected to continue without disruption. In parallel, the government is actively exploring alternative supply sources, with efforts underway to import fuel directly from countries such as Singapore, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, as well as other Central Asian nations.
As part of ongoing enforcement drives, authorities have seized a total of 372,388 liters of illegally hoarded fuel across the country. The recovery was made through mobile court operations conducted between March 3 and April 1 to ensure proper fuel management.
According to official data, the recovered fuel includes:
• 271,374 liters of diesel
• 30,960 liters of octane
• 70,054 liters of petrol
Officials said these operations have been intensified to prevent illegal hoarding, smuggling, and attempts to create artificial shortages in the market.
Monir Hossain Chowdhury urged citizens to avoid panic buying and unnecessary stockpiling, noting that such behavior could disrupt supply stability. He also emphasized the importance of energy conservation, stating that public cooperation is essential to maintaining national energy security. He added that the government has refrained from increasing fuel prices considering public welfare.
As of April 2, the country’s fuel stock stands at:
• Diesel: 122,660 tonnes
• Octane: 9,021 tonnes
• Petrol: 12,194 tonnes
• Furnace oil: 58,736 tonnes (BPC)
• Jet fuel: 41,876 tonnes
• Kerosene: 9,378 tonnes
• Marine fuel: 1,153 tonnes
The Energy Division further confirmed that, alongside existing reserves, fuel imports are continuing via sea routes and pipelines, while procurement from multiple international sources remains ongoing to ensure uninterrupted supply.
