The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) seized 1,500 liters of illegally stored petrol and octane from a cowshed in Sujanagar, Pabna, on Saturday.
The drive was conducted at the home of Santu Islam, owner of Khan Enterprise, in the Chinakhara Bazar area. Acting on a tip-off regarding fuel hoarding amid Middle East market tensions, officials inspected the market on Saturday morning.
Upon hearing of the raid, Santu Islam initially closed his shop and fled. However, local residents directed the team to his house located behind the business. Officials discovered the fuel hidden inside a cowshed on the premises.
Authorities confirmed that the fuel was stockpiled to be sold at inflated prices by exploiting market supply concerns. Following the seizure, the DNCRP supervised the sale of the recovered oil to local consumers at government-fixed rates. Santu Islam was fined Tk 25,000 for the violation.
Mahmud Hasan Roni, Assistant Director of DNCRP Pabna, led the operation. "The shopkeeper’s suspicious behavior led us to the hidden stock," he stated.
The DNCRP also conducted raids in Ataikula and other local markets, fining six establishments a total of Tk 90,000 for overcharging and hoarding fuel.
