Over 200,000L of illegally hoarded fuel seized

Vigilance teams have recovered more than 200,000 litres of illegally stockpiled fuel from various locations across Bangladesh, officials said on Monday.

The seizure came following raids aimed at cracking down on artificial shortages and price manipulation.

According to official data released on Monday, the seized fuel includes 139,965 litres of diesel, 46,146 litres of petrol and 22,539 litres of octane. 

The operations were carried out jointly by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, district administrations and law enforcement agencies.

Officials said the raids targeted warehouses and depots in Dhaka and several other districts after widespread complaints of unusual fuel shortages in recent weeks. 
Authorities believe the fuel was being hoarded to create artificial scarcity in the market and drive up prices.

The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources announced on Friday that vigilance teams have been formed in every district to prevent illegal fuel trading. 
The ministry said the administration has strengthened monitoring through these teams.