Fuel hoarders face mobile court heat

The government has strengthened its drive against fuel stockpiling to tackle the ongoing nationwide crisis, with mobile courts in several districts recovering large quantities of fuel from hoarders and fining them.

In Netrokona, a mobile court of the Kendua upazila administration seized 800 litres of petrol from a shop, Krishi Kotha, at Rampur Bazar on Friday night. The court, led by Kendua UNO Md Rifatul Islam, also fined the shop owner Tk 40,000.

The seized petrol was sold yesterday at a fair price to consumers from the shop, the UNO said.

In Jamalpur, a mobile court recovered 2,500 litres of petrol from a filling station in Sadar upazila yesterday and fined the manager of M/s Jui Enterprise Tk 50,000.

According to locals and officials, the station used to sell fuel from early morning until around 10:00am before halting sales, citing depleted supplies. Acting on information, a mobile court led by Executive Magistrate BMSR Alif found the fuel stored in 12 drums and later arranged to sell it at a government-fixed price.

In Mymensingh, 19,500 litres of diesel and 4,500 litres of petrol were seized from a mini filling station in Phulpur upazila headquarters yesterday.  A court, led by UNO Sadia Islam Shema, fined the owner of Popy Traders Tk 2 lakh.

The seized fuel will be sold through other filling stations at the government-fixed price, she said.

In Kurigram, a mobile court seized 48 litres of petrol from the house of a BNP leader in Dantbhanga village under Roumari upazila on Friday afternoon. The court, led by Executive Magistrate Rafiur Rahman, fined the house owner’s son Tk 10,000 for illegal stockpiling. Abu Jahan is the president of Ward No 4 BNP in Dantbhanga Union.

In Dinajpur, a mobile court raid yesterday recovered 380 litres of diesel and 34 litres of octane from a house in Birganj upazila and sentenced the owner to seven days’ non-rigorous imprisonment. Another mobile court in Birol upazila sentenced a man to five days’ non-rigorous imprisonment on Friday night for illegally hoarding and selling fuel.

In Gopalganj, a mobile court yesterday recovered around 1,500 litres of petrol and octane from a shop in the Panchuria area of the town and fined its owner Tk 9,000 for illegal storage.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hassan Mahmood conducted a surprise inspection of the Baghabari Oil Depot early yesterday, one of the country’s leading fuel supply hubs.

Speaking to journalists, he said the visit aimed to monitor depot operations and fuel distribution.

“We are receiving reports of fuel shortages at filling stations despite regular supply from depots. That is why I have come here to monitor the distribution and supply process,” he said.

[Our correspondents from Netrokona, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Lalmonirhat and Pabna contributed to the report]