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  "path": "/partner/bangladesh-scraps-light-displays-as-mideast-war-worsens-fuel-crunch",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-09T11:48:58.000Z",
  "site": "https://nukta.com",
  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nBangladesh has tightened security at filling stations, sent students home and even scrapped light displays for independence and Ramadan celebrations, officials said Monday, as the Middle East war worsens the country's energy crunch.\n\nThe South Asian nation of 170 million people imports 95 percent of its oil and gas needs.\n\nFollowing the U.S. 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe government 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.\n\nLong traffic queues backed out far from filling stations for a second day on Monday.\n\nMinistry of Energy spokesman Mohammad Arif Sadek said that the police and army had been \"sent letters\" to ensure security at filling stations and major depots.\n\nBangladesh has also shut universities and brought forward the Eid holidays, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Many educational institutions were already closed for Ramadan.\n\nHome Minister Salahuddin Ahmed announced cuts to the decorative lighting that usually festoons government buildings, for both Independence Day on March 26 and Eid.\n\n\"Traditionally we have decorative lighting and illuminations on Independence Day and other national days, but this time we will refrain from that, as part of the austerity measures,\" Ahmed told reporters.\n\nShopping malls, usually also draped in dazzling displays, were asked to stop the lighting.\n\nNazmul Haque, president of the Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners Association, said he had halved the amount of fuel he sells per day, warning of a string of fights as anger rose among consumers.\n\n\"I can't sell enough fuel to make a profit,\" he said.",
  "title": "Bangladesh scraps light displays as Mideast war worsens fuel crunch"
}