Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has directed its marketing companies to increase the supply of octane and petrol in divisional cities by 10 per cent to meet public demand and to ensure direct supply of fuel oil to registered customers to maintain uninterrupted fuel distribution across the country.
The government agency has reduced the planned cut in the supply of octane and petrol in divisional cities to 15 per cent from the previously announced 25 per cent, a BPC release said on Wednesday.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit said Bangladesh has the capacity to maintain normal energy and power supply until May.
"We are importing 5,000 tonnes of diesel from India, following another shipment of over 27,000 tonnes earlier, and at the same time we sought China's cooperation to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply from Chinese refiners," State Minister Aninda Islam Amit said adding that there is no plan to raise fuel or electricity prices.
BPC has instructed depot superintendents, sales officers and dealers or agents of its marketing companies to take the necessary measures to ensure fuel distribution according to the revised allocation chart.
Amid panic buying and growing concern in the fuel market, Bangladesh imported 5,000 tonnes of diesel from India yesterday, just a day after BPC imported more than 27,000 tonnes of diesel, Energy Division has said.
Earlier, on March 5, all state-owned oil marketing companies proposed raising fuel prices to discourage panic buying as Bangladesh faces growing uncertainty over energy supplies amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Managing directors of Padma Oil Company Limited, Jamuna Oil Company Limited, and Meghna Petroleum Limited jointly recommended a price hike, arguing that higher prices could discourage consumers and businesses from stockpiling fuel.
Fuel shipments are being brought into the country regularly as per the import activities and supply schedule. At the same time, fuel oil is being supplied from the main facilities to different depots nationwide through rail wagons and tankers, a BPC press release said.
The BPC has already given necessary instructions to the marketing companies under its supervision to supply fuel oil directly to registered customers and supply process is continuing accordingly.
The companies operating under BPC include Eastern Refinery Limited, Padma Oil Company Limited, Meghna Petroleum Limited, Jamuna Oil Company Limited, Eastern Lubricants Blenders PLC, LP Gas Limited, Standard Asiatic Oil Company Limited and Petroleum Transmission Company PLC, the release added.
