A mobile court seized approximately 6,000 liters of illegally stockpiled diesel from two factories in Bhola’s BSCIC Industrial City during a raid on Tuesday night.
The operation, led by Executive Magistrate Syed Mahmud Bulbul, began at 8:30 PM and concluded at midnight. Acting on intelligence from the NSO and other agencies, the court discovered 3,974 liters of diesel stored in tanks and drums at Khan Flower and another 2,000 liters at Trishna Bakery.
Neither establishment possessed the required licenses or documentation for fuel storage. Under government regulations, factories like Khan Flower—which consumes 150 liters daily—are only permitted to stock a maximum of 450 liters (a three-day supply) without written authorization.
The court fined Jamal Khan, owner of Khan Flower, 1 lakh taka. He was sentenced to one month in prison after failing to pay the fine. During the raid, factory employees attempted to obstruct the authorities by barricading the road with sandbags and bricks. Jamal Khan also reportedly threatened media personnel, including a Somoy TV photojournalist, for documenting the event.
Additionally, Md. Jewel, owner of Trishna Bakery, was fined 50,000 taka and received a seven-day prison sentence in default of payment. The seized fuel has been ordered for auction, with proceeds going to the government treasury.
Executive Magistrate Syed Mahmud Bulbul confirmed that the raid was based on specific secret information. "The establishments lacked any valid documents for storing such large quantities of fuel. We have taken strict legal action to prevent artificial market crises," he stated.
