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Bangladesh Starts Fuel Rationing Amid Escalating Energy Crisis
Bangladesh has initiated a program to ration fuel consumption in light of the escalating energy crisis resulting from tensions in the Middle East, which has led to long queues at fuel stations across the country.
The nation, with a population of approximately 170 million, imports around 95 percent of its oil and gas needs, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in international markets and supply crises.
This decision follows rising tensions in the region after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes in several areas of the Gulf, coupled with a significant decline in shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, impacting energy supplies.
In this context, the Bangladesh National Petroleum Corporation has decided to restrict fuel sales for most vehicles, imposing limits on the amount that can be purchased at one time. For instance, motorcycle riders, prevalent throughout the country, are now permitted to buy a maximum of just two liters of fuel per refuel.
The company explained that consumers tend to purchase more than usual during crises, prompting authorities to implement measures to regulate demand and ensure sustained supply.
In a related incident, a fuel station in the south of the country experienced unrest after a 25-year-old man was killed following an altercation with station staff over refueling his vehicle, igniting protests that led demonstrators to set fire to three buses and vandalize a fuel station.
With the new restrictions coming into effect, long queues of vehicles began forming outside several fuel stations in the capital, Dhaka.
Mohammad Amin, a 45-year-old motorcycle driver, reported that he had to wait over an hour to obtain just two liters of fuel, explaining that his bike’s tank holds eight liters and he previously filled it once a week, but now he will need to return in two days for additional fuel.
Amid the current crisis, authorities have also announced the closure of five out of six fertilizer production plants in the country until March 18, according to a representative from the chemical industry institution.
