Bangladesh urges citizens to avoid 'unnecessary' travel amid fuel concerns over Wasia war

Dhaka, Apr 5 (PTI) Bangladesh on Thursday asked citizens to minimise "unnecessary travels" as panic buying hits filling stations in Dhaka amid concerns over fuel supply shortage due to the ongoing war in West Asia.

The energy ministry issued a set of 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 affect the country as well.

In a circular, the government "urged citizens to limit or avoid unnecessary travel to minimise fuel expenditure”, the state-run BSS news agency reported.

There were longer-than-usual queues of vehicles outside filling stations across Dhaka, indicating signs of panic amid concerns over possible supply disruption.

Fuel station operators said fuel 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 directives, reinforced by a subsequent cabinet division statement, 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 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 the 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. PTI AR SCY SCY