Dhaka, April 5 On Thursday, Bangladesh urged citizens to minimize "unnecessary travel" as panic buying hit fuel stations in Dhaka amid concerns over a potential fuel shortage due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
The energy ministry issued emergency directives for energy conservation as part of the government's austerity campaign, fearing that disruptions in the global supply chain due to the crisis in West Asia could also affect the country.
In a circular, the government "urged citizens to limit or avoid unnecessary travel to minimize fuel expenditure," the state-run BSS news agency reported.
There were unusually long queues of vehicles outside fuel stations across Dhaka, indicating signs of panic amid concerns over a possible supply disruption.
Fuel station operators said that fuel prices surged throughout Thursday, with the number of motorists queuing up since morning increasing as the day went by, forcing some drivers to wait for up to three hours.
The energy ministry's directives, reinforced by a subsequent statement from the cabinet division, urged people to use electricity and fuel economically and discouraged decorative lighting.
People were also asked to limit the use of private vehicles and rely more on public transport.
Experts said that South Asian nations like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are particularly vulnerable to the impact of rising global oil prices.
According to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) officials, fuel stocks are currently stable for the short term, but the country's energy security remains highly sensitive to international disruptions, particularly in West Asia.
"As of now, domestic crude oil reserves are negligible, and we rely heavily on imports to meet our daily energy needs," a BPC official said on condition of anonymity.
Bangladesh's energy security heavily depends on imports, with dependency levels ranging from roughly 30 per cent for natural gas to over 90 per cent for petroleum and LPG as of early 2026.
Saudi Arabia's Aramco supplies 800,000 tonnes of light crude oil annually, followed by the UAE's Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), which provides 700,000 tonnes per year.
Qatar remains the country's largest and most critical supplier of natural gas, accounting for 40-42 per cent of Bangladesh's total annual liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports as of March this year.
