Mobile Court Fines Faridpur Petrol Pump Tk 50,000 for Fuel Hoarding

A mobile court has fined a petrol pump Tk 50,000 for hoarding fuel and not supplying it to consumers in Faridpur Sadar Upazila.

The drive was conducted on Saturday afternoon at two filling stations—Hossain Filling Station and Royal Filling Station—in Kanaipur Bazar.

According to Executive Magistrate Md. Shafiqul Islam, the operation was carried out following complain that fuel was being stockpiled and not sold to customers.

At Hossain Filling Station, the pump was found closed despite having significant fuel reserves—7,000 litres of petrol, 6,500 litres of octane, and 14,500 litres of diesel. Authorities confirmed that the pump was deliberately withholding supply.

As a result, the station manager, Sabir Chowdhury, was fined Tk 50,000 under the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009. The authorities also ordered the pump to reopen immediately and resume fuel sales to all types of vehicles, including buses, trucks, and motorcycles. The pump authorities later apologised.

At Royal Filling Station, inspectors found that only diesel was being sold, while petrol and octane sales were suspended despite available stock—3,500 litres of petrol, 3,400 litres of octane, and 19,000 litres of diesel.

The pump owner cited technical issues and apologised. Authorities directed them to immediately resume full operations. No fine or punishment was imposed in this case.

The drive was conducted under the supervision of Faridpur Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Meshkatul Jannat Rabeya, with Executive Magistrate Shakib Rahman Akash leading the operation on the ground.

Officials said such raid will continue to ensure fair fuel distribution and protect consumers from artificial shortages.