Photo: BSS

By Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo

DHAKA, April 15, 2026 (BSS) - Experts have attributed psychological panic to be largely causing rush for fuel in petroleum stations amidst government assurances of adequate supplies despite the Middle Eastern crisis involving Strait of Hormuz.
 
“What we see now is an example of panic buying,” leading energy expert Badrul Imam of Dhaka University told BSS as vehicles continued to queue in long lines for hours in petrol/octane stations in the capital and other cities.

He said the buying spree caused by the phenomenon was mounting extra pressure on every fuel stations, lingering the queues.

According to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), the normal daily demand of petroleum products in the country for FY 2025-2026 was approximately 18,000 to 20,000 tonnes.

BPC officials said as of April 15, 2026, the BPC maintained the stable daily petroleum supply with enough stock to evade the impact of the ongoing crisis for at least the next two months.

BPC official Shahina Sultana said the government raised the supply of fuel in divisional cities by 10 percent, considering public demand amid the ongoing global crisis.

The owner of a petrol pump owner at Shewrapa, preferring anonymity, said that the consumers panic was rather causing fuel crisis at his fuel station as elsewhere.

Motor car owner Abdul Wahab said some motorbikes were aggravating the crisis by taking extra fuels for their next day run.

Another pump owner presumed some bikers; mostly share riders, were stockpiling petrol at their home out of fear as daily sales at many filling stations doubled compared to normal demand, a situation “you may call artificial demand spikes”.

The government withdrew a recently introduced cap on sales at consumer level to negate the panic buying but the petrol pump owners said the initiative proved inadequate in view of abnormally enhanced consumer demand.

Energy division joint secretary Monir Hossain Chowdhury earlier said that the situation forced the government to launch an anti-hoarding campaign engaging mobile courts throughout the country in an effort to stabilize distribution system.

He told reporters the government conducted 9,116 mobile courts against fuel hoarding across the country and recovered 54, 2236 litres of petroleum products from March to April 14, 2026 till date and sent 45 people to prison.

The official said the mobile courts also filed 3,510 cases realized Taka 1,56,09,650 as fine.

Chowdhury said the current volume of diesel reserve was 113,085 metric tons, octane 31,821 metric tons, petrol 18,021 metric tons and furnace oil 77,546 metric tons.

“Vessels loaded with petroleum products are also coming,” he said expecting the next shipment will arrive by April 20.

The official said another crude oil vessel departed from Yanbu port in Saudi Arabia and is expected to reach Bangladesh in late April or early May.