Bangladesh has already faced a fuel oil crisis due to the spread of rumors and fake news on YouTube and Facebook

POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Mar 6, 2026 : Bangladesh has already faced a fuel oil crisis due to the spread of rumors and fake news on YouTube and Facebook. Buyers are rushing to petrol pumps. Pump owners are trying to provide more fuel than the demand. As a result, there has been an oil crisis.
For the past few days, oil supply has been stopped across the Asian continent due to the war in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has issued special instructions to control the public’s concerns about the fuel oil stock situation and excess demand. At the same time, a daily quota for vehicle-based fuel supply has been set, so that stock management can be maintained properly and unreasonable stockpiling can be prevented.
In a press release issued by the BPC office in Chittagong, the organization said that although the use of fuel oil is essential for the development and progress of the country, about 95 percent of the oil used has to be imported from abroad. In the context of the current global crisis, sometimes import operations are being delayed or disrupted. In this situation, due to negative news about the stock situation being spread through various media and social media, there is a tendency among many consumers and dealers to stock up on excess fuel.
According to the BPC, due to excess demand, many dealers are trying to extract more oil from the depot than usual. In addition, there are allegations that some consumers are trying to stock up on more fuel than required and are trying to do so illegally, which has come to the attention of the concerned authorities.
To deal with this situation, a maximum daily supply limit of 2 liters for motorcycles and 10 liters for private cars has been set. In the case of SUVs, jeeps and microbuses, 20 to 25 liters can be supplied, 70 to 80 liters for pickups and local buses, and 200 to 220 liters of diesel can be supplied to long-distance buses, trucks and container trucks.
The notification further states that filling stations will have to give cash reminders stating the quantity and price at the time of fuel sale and will have to submit copies of previous purchase bills before refueling. Dealers will also have to supply fuel according to the prescribed quota and submit information on storage and sales at the depot.
BPC said that regular import activities are underway to keep the fuel supply in the country normal and oil shipments are continuously coming to the country. Fuel is also being sent regularly from the main facilities to depots across the country through rail wagon tankers. It is expected that it will be possible to build up adequate buffer stocks in a short time.
The organization also said that selling fuel beyond the price fixed by the government is a punishable offense. If excessive prices are charged on the pretext of crisis, action will be taken against those concerned. BPC has sought the cooperation of all concerned to keep the fuel supply in the country normal.
In this situation, prominent people have demanded the disclosure and cancellation of agreements made against the public interest in the country’s energy sector. They said that such a policy should be adopted that protects the interests of the people of the country, increases national capacity and puts an end to plunderous activities.
Economist Professor Anu Muhammad said that the current global politics and war situation have created great uncertainty in the energy market, which is a big risk for a weak economy like Bangladesh. International conflicts can affect expatriate income, employment and prices of daily necessities. He said that the country’s energy sector has become dependent on imports and loans due to the adoption of various agreements and policies by past governments in the interests of domestic and foreign groups. The impact of the global crisis is now being felt more acutely. If the import dependence in the energy sector was not so high, the impact of the international war situation would not have been so profound. This economist demanded that agreements against the public interest be disclosed and, if necessary, canceled.
Former Chairman of the Power Development Board MA Mayeed said that many of the power plant contracts that were signed without tenders under the special law during the Yunus government had irregularities.
Economist MM Akash said that to solve the energy crisis, adequate power generation, affordable prices for consumers and a fuel mix must be ensured.
Petrol and octane shortages have been reported at petrol pumps in Rajshahi, North Bengal, Bangladesh. Customers say that oil is not available as per demand. Several filling stations have temporarily closed due to running out of oil. The stations that have oil are selling limited quantities of oil. The oil shortage has been evident in Rajshahi since Thursday morning. That day, most of the filling stations in the city stopped supplying oil to motorcyclists as per demand. Some stations did not provide oil for a maximum of 200 taka and nowhere more than 500 taka. As a result, long queues of bikers have been seen at various filling stations in the city since morning.
The Afrin oil pump in the Sagarpara area of ​​the city was seen closed at 4 pm on Friday. Its employee Manik said that it has been closed since the afternoon as it has run out of oil.
Abdul Jalil, general secretary of the Rajshahi division of the Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents and Petrol Pump Owners Association, said that several filling stations have temporarily closed due to lack of oil. Even at stations that have oil, limited quantities are being sold. As panic has spread among people, there has been a rush to buy oil.