Bangladesh scraps light displays as Mideast tension worsens fuel crunch

Dhaka: Bangladesh has tightened security at filling stations, sent students home and even scrapped light displays for independence and Ramadan celebra...

Dhaka: Bangladesh has tightened security at filling stations, sent students home and even scrapped light displays for independence and Ramadan celebrations, officials said Monday, as the situation in Middle East worsens the country's energy crunch.

The South Asian nation of 170 million people imports 95 percent of its oil and gas needs.

Following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and Tehran's retaliatory strikes throughout the Gulf, the national oil company, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), restricted fuel sales for most vehicles on Sunday.

The BPC said in a statement that if fuel consumption can be cut by 25 percent, Bangladesh will have 14 days of diesel left. The government has requested people to stop panic buying.

The goverment has ordered mobile courts to begin operating in the capital Dhaka, to charge and fine those accused of breaching rules on fuel hoarding, smuggling or selling fuel on the open market.