The repercussions of the ongoing war in the Middle East have begun to ripple across the world. In many countries, people are crowding fuel stations to stock up on vehicle fuel amid fears about the future. A major crisis has arisen in the global fuel supply. Experts believe Bangladesh may also face an energy shortage in the coming days. In response, the government has already issued directives to conserve electricity and fuel by reducing the use of electric lights and air-conditioning units, and avoiding decorative lighting. At the same time, five fertiliser factories have been temporarily shut down to reduce gas consumption. State-owned Petrobangla has already cut the supply of LNG to the national grid. Gas supply to power plants has also been reduced to some extent. Amid growing difficulties in importing fuel from international markets, the government is planning to introduce rationing of fuel products. These details were confirmed through discussions with officials of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation and Petrobangla.
The Cabinet Division on Thursday issued directives aimed at conserving electricity and energy nationwide. According to the instructions, nationwide electricity and energy conservation are necessary to tackle the global energy crisis. For this, officials and employees of all government, autonomous, statutory, and corporate offices must ensure responsible behaviour to save electricity and fuel and cope with the global energy crisis.
The directives call for avoiding the use of electric lights during daytime when sufficient natural light is available, maintaining air-conditioner temperatures at 25 degrees Celsius or above, reducing the use of additional fans and electrical appliances in offices, and refraining from decorative lighting. The instructions also emphasise limiting the use of vehicles and adopting more fuel-efficient practices in the use of fuel-powered transport and machinery.
More than 60 percent of the country’s gas consumption takes place in power plants and fertiliser factories. Already, five of the eight fertiliser factories in the country have been shut down. Officials at the factories said the government had asked them to suspend operations temporarily, mainly to reduce gas usage.
According to sources, four of the five urea fertiliser plants and KAFCO have been shut down due to the energy shortage. At present, Shahjalal Fertilizer Company Limited, TSP Complex Limited, and DAP Fertilizer Company Limited remain operational.
Confirming the matter, Director (Production & Research) of the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), Md Moniruzzaman, told Bonik Barta, “Shahjalal Fertilizer Company Limited is operating, while the remaining urea fertiliser plants have been shut down. However, the DAP and TSP factories are still running. The government has instructed us to keep the fertiliser factories closed for now. We’ve shut down factories. Initially, the suspension has been set for 15 days.”
The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has also requested public cooperation in conserving electricity and fuel. In a statement issued on March 4, the ministry said the ongoing instability in the Middle East is disrupting energy supplies worldwide. As a result, there is a growing risk of a temporary crisis in the country’s energy sector. To avoid public suffering during the month of Ramadan due to the potential energy shortage, the ministry has issued several precautionary instructions. These include avoiding all forms of decorative lighting and using public transport instead of private vehicles.
The statement also said traders and law enforcement agencies have been instructed to remain vigilant to prevent the sale of diesel and petrol on the open market. District administrations, police authorities, and Border Guard Bangladesh have been requested to take necessary measures to prevent fuel smuggling.
To address the emerging energy crisis, an emergency meeting was held on March 4 by Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud with top officials. State Minister Anindya Islam Amit was also present at the meeting. Responding to questions from journalists after the meeting, the minister said the current situation is more severe than the Russia–Ukraine War. “If everyone doesn’t cooperate, it’ll be difficult to overcome the major crisis. We must ensure efficient use of the resources we have. Efforts have been made to procure additional fuel from the spot market, but the response hasn’t been encouraging. Managing the crisis has now become the primary task. If efficient management is ensured, the situation can be kept under control. During the Eid holidays, industrial activities are expected to decrease, which will reduce electricity demand and ease the pressure to some extent,” he said.
Bangladesh’s demand for fuel oil is almost entirely dependent on imports. The country sources fuel from the Middle East, China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. However, amid the current crisis in the Middle East, major fuel-exporting countries have also reduced their supplies. As the collection of fuel oil from the Middle East has been disrupted, China has suspended the export of refined fuel products — diesel and petrol. According to a report by Bloomberg, China has instructed its largest oil refineries to temporarily halt exports of diesel and petrol due to fears of a disruption in global fuel supplies caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East.
China itself relies heavily on imported oil. It uses the strategically important Strait of Hormuz for energy shipments like other major Asian economies. With shipping through the strait currently suspended, a major uncertainty has emerged in global energy supply, the Bloomberg report noted. According to data from energy market analytics firm Kpler, around 57 percent of China’s seaborne crude oil imports in 2025 came from the Middle East.
Energy experts say it is almost inevitable that the war in the Middle East will affect Bangladesh’s fuel supply. They believe that if the conflict continues for a prolonged period, the country’s energy supply management could face serious risks. However, they also emphasised that urgent measures must be taken to address the situation.
Energy expert M Tamim told Bonik Barta, “Since supply shortages have emerged in our existing import sources, we must maintain constant communication with alternative sources to secure fuel supplies. At the same time, efforts to conserve electricity and energy should begin immediately. If necessary, limited load-shedding could also be introduced from now.”
Bangladesh’s daily gas demand stands at about 3.8 billion cubic feet, while the current supply is slightly above 2.65 billion cubic feet. Of this, LNG accounts for around 950 million cubic feet. In addition to long-term LNG imports from Qatar and Oman, the country also brings LNG cargoes from the spot market to supply the national grid. However, production operations in Qatar — one of the world’s largest LNG suppliers — have been disrupted due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, pushing LNG prices upward globally. Under the current circumstances, there is no situation to increase LNG imports from the spot market to stabilise supply.
Concerns among the public over the country’s fuel supply situation were visible at petrol stations across the capital. Long queues of trucks have formed at fuel depots to collect oil for supplying to filling stations. Officials say this has delayed the delivery of fuel to pumps on time. Many people, driven by panic, are rushing to petrol stations to purchase fuel and are buying more than usual. As a result, fuel stocks at many pumps are being depleted quickly. Visits to several petrol stations in Nilkhet, Tejgaon, Asadgate, Paribagh, Gulistan, and Motijheel revealed long queues of private cars and motorcycles waiting for fuel. Many stations have suspended services due to a lack of fuel.
Manager of QGS Samdani Petrol Pump in Nilkhet, Bishwopal, told Bonik Barta, “Due to the excessive demand for fuel, our pump’s two-day stock was exhausted in a single day. We can’t supply fuel until the next shipment arrives.” As of last night, when this report was written, the pump remained closed due to a shortage of fuel.
About 20 percent of the world’s energy supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Currently, Iran has closed the waterway, leaving hundreds of fuel-carrying tankers stranded in the strait. Around 45 percent of Bangladesh’s gas supply originates from the Middle East, which is also a major supplier of fuel oil to the country. The ongoing conflict and war in the region have therefore created significant obstacles to the import of energy products.