Over 200,000 Liters of Fuel Seized in Nationwide Crackdown

A total of 208,650 liters of fuel have been recovered during a nationwide crackdown on illegal fuel hoarding between March 3 and 29. During this period, authorities filed 1,053 cases and sentenced 16 individuals to prison.

The information was disclosed by Monir Hossain Chowdhury, spokesperson and joint secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Department, at a press conference held at the ministry on Monday (March 30).

According to the ministry, 3,168 drives were conducted across the country. Of the seized fuel, diesel accounted for the largest share at 139,965 liters. Authorities also recovered 22,539 liters of octane and 46,146 liters of petrol. In addition, fines totaling Tk 7,516,000 were collected from those involved in illegal activities.

Officials said the government will continue strict enforcement to ensure a stable fuel supply and prevent artificial shortages.

Earlier, the government announced a reward of up to Tk 1 lakh for information leading to action against illegal fuel storage and smuggling.

To strengthen oversight, the ministry has ordered regular mobile court operations, appointed monitoring officers at petrol pumps, and increased supervision. District-level vigilance teams have also been formed, with dedicated contact numbers for public reporting.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed to enhance security at oil depots.