Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood on Sunday said an artificial fuel crisis is being created by hoarding and black marketing across the country.
Speaking in parliament, he said there is no actual shortage of fuel, blaming panic buying and unethical practices by some traders for the situation.
The minister said monitoring mechanisms have been strengthened, with officials from local administration and the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation overseeing supply across districts and upazilas.
He added that mobile court drives are being conducted regularly, leading to thousands of cases, fines and seizure of large volumes of fuel.
According to official data, more than 3,500 cases have been filed, Tk 1.56 crore in fines collected, and over 5 lakh litres of fuel seized so far.
To improve transparency, the government has introduced pilot fuel card systems at selected filling stations in Dhaka, which may be expanded nationwide if successful.
On LPG supply, the minister said Bangladesh remains heavily dependent on imports and the situation is being closely monitored amid ongoing global tensions.
Authorities are tracking imports through customs systems and coordinating with regulators to ensure stable supply, he added.
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