Hoarding drives crisis, authorities intensify action
A mobile court operation was conducted in Bera Upazila on Monday (March 30, 2026) to address the ongoing fuel crisis, with authorities attributing the situation to artificial shortages and hoarding. The drive took place at Linja Petrol Pump under the leadership of Executive Magistrate Nuren Maisha Khan, with support from Nitai Chandra Sarkar and law enforcement personnel.
Following directives from the Pabna Deputy Commissioner's Office, officials conducted thorough inspections of vehicle registration papers, driving licences, route permits, and fitness certificates. During the drive, nine individuals were fined a total of Tk 10,000 under the Road Transport Act 2018 for offences such as lacking valid documents, not wearing helmets, and attempting to stockpile fuel unnecessarily. The fines were duly deposited into the government treasury.
Authorities also examined the petrol pump’s records and confirmed that around 3,000 litres of fuel had been sold since morning at the government-fixed rate of Tk 100 per litre. An additional 3,000 litres is expected to be supplied later in the day, indicating that supply remains stable.
Officials on site concluded that the crisis is largely artificial, driven by hoarding and organised syndicates rather than an actual shortage. Magistrate Nuren Maisha Khan reiterated that fuel will not be sold to vehicles without proper documentation and urged the public to report any illegal hoarding. She affirmed that such enforcement drives will continue in the public interest.
