Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have seized a total of 1,65,000 litres of illegally stockpiled edible oil during a nationwide crackdown aimed at curbing hoarding and ensuring stability in the consumer market.
During the drives in the last 24 hours till Friday morning, 20 mobile courts have imposed fines amounting to Tk3,53,000 for various violations, said Director of RAB’s Legal and Media Wing MZM Entekhab Chowdhury.
In Feni, a warehouse located in the Islam Road area was fined Tk50,000 for hoarding edible oil.
Similar monitoring operations were carried out in different parts of Dhaka, including Shantinagar, Nayapaltan and Purana Paltan, where traders were warned against stockpiling and charging excessive prices.
In Jashore’s Kotwali Police Station area, Messrs Nawab Mill was fined Tk50,000 for illegally storing 16,524 litres of soybean oil. In Rangpur, two businesses faced fines totalling Tk60,000 over allegations of price manipulation and hoarding.
Although no major violations were detected in areas such as Dhaka’s Savar and Mirpur and Cox’s Bazar, traders there were cautioned to follow regulations.
In Dhaka’s Jurain Bazar under Shyampur, authorities sealed an establishment after recovering 1,705 sacks of rice and 500 sacks of flour stored illegally.
Meanwhile, in Sreemangal, a trader was fined Tk30,000 for hoarding 8,500 litres of edible oil, and in Narsingdi, another was fined Tk10,000 for selling oil above the government-fixed price.
Additional drives in Rupganj, Demra and Habiganj Sadar led to fines totalling Tk1,53,000 against four business enterprises for offenses including illegal production, counterfeit labelling and overpricing.
RAB officials said such enforcement drives, along with intelligence surveillance, will continue to prevent market manipulation and protect consumers.
