The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has ordered the deployment of the army to strengthen security at major oil depots in the wake of unrest over fuel supply in the country. The decision was announced in a statement from the ministry on Monday.
According to the ministry, there has been an unusual demand in fuel oil marketing in recent times. In some cases, it is not possible to meet the sudden increase in demand from dealers from various depots. This has created pressure on the supply system and there is a risk of an undesirable situation at some important depots.
Based on information from energy marketing companies, the establishments that have been identified as risky include the main establishment located in Patenga in Chittagong city and oil depots in Daulatpur in Khulna, Baghabari in Sirajganj, Godnail and Fatulla in Narayanganj, Parbatipur in Dinajpur and Barisal.
The government statement said that as these depots are considered as the country’s critical infrastructure (KPI), it is essential to ensure their security. Therefore, there is a need to quickly deploy the army to control the situation.