The government is urgently purchasing diesel and petrol from Saudi Arabia. This information was announced in a statement from the Ministry of Energy on Sunday (15 March).
The statement said that outside the existing agreement, the government is buying 100,000 metric tons of diesel and 25,000 tons of gasoline (petrol) from Saudi Arabia on an emergency basis. The estimated cost is 200 billion taka (2,000 crore taka).
Meanwhile, the government has canceled the rationing system for selling fuel oil in the country. In the morning at the Secretariat, State Minister for Energy Anindya Islam Amit said that the limits on selling fuel to general consumers and supplying oil to filling stations have been removed. However, despite withdrawing the rationing system, the fuel crisis has not yet eased. According to concerned officials, the supply of oil from depots has still not returned to normal.
At the Secretariat, the State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources told journalists that all restrictions on fuel oil have been lifted as an oil tanker has reached Chattogram. He also said that fuel prices will not be increased as long as the economy can withstand the pressure. He added that discussions are underway on whether Russian oil can be brought through other countries.
Despite the government lifting the rationing system, customers in Dhaka and Chattogram city are still having to wait in long queues at refueling stations to get fuel. Refueling companies say this situation is due to low supply. A similar situation exists at filling stations in Barishal and Rajshahi districts. Pumps are still selling fuel according to previous limits, and a customer can buy a maximum of 500 taka worth of fuel.
Fuel pump operators said they have not yet received any official instructions about the withdrawal of the rationing system. Pump officials added that fuel supply from the depots has not yet returned to normal.
