Fuel shortage hits MPs,Concerns over fuel shortages affecting Members of Parliament (MPs) were raised in the Jatiya Sangsad, with an MP alleging that legislators were being humiliated while trying to collect fuel and that shortages were creating a crisis in their constituencies.
Responding to the issue, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku said that if fuel dealers go missing or act improperly, law enforcement agencies should be informed to bring them in and ensure fuel supply.
The matter came up during the question-and-answer session of Parliament on Thursday, presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on the seventh day of the first session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.
In a supplementary question, MP Shafiqul Islam Masud said that MPs were facing difficulties in collecting fuel, with some being humiliated, while others were experiencing shortages. He also alleged irregularities by fuel dealers in his constituency, claiming that petrol was being sold from private homes instead of official outlets.
He further said that field-level problems did not match the minister’s statement, adding that fuel stations were being instructed to close by 8pm, worsening the situation in his area. He called on the ministry to take effective steps to address the crisis.
Rejecting the concerns, the minister said fuel was being supplied according to daily allocations and that dealers who deliberately evade operations should be reported to law enforcement for action.
He described the situation as part of a global energy challenge, noting that fuel management remains difficult amid worldwide shortages.
The minister also urged people not to engage in panic buying and to purchase only what is necessary, saying this would help prevent artificial shortages.
On the issue of early business closures, he said people across the world were now practising austerity and that citizens were being encouraged to adopt similar measures.