STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The government has authorised the emergency purchase of 300,000 tonnes of diesel, moving swiftly to secure domestic fuel supplies as the escalating war in the Middle East threatens global energy markets.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs took the decision yesterday at a virtual meeting chaired by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury.

Diesel is the most widely consumed petroleum product in Bangladesh, which meets almost all of its petroleum requirements through imports. The country consumed 68 lakh tonnes of petroleum in the 2024-25 fiscal year, of which 43.5 lakh tonnes was diesel.

The new purchase will cover roughly 25 days of national demand.

The meeting, considering the unstable geopolitical situation arising from the Iran-US-Israel war, approved two proposals from the Energy and Mineral

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