Law Minister Advocate Md Asaduzzaman on Saturday warned that the government is prepared to take the strictest legal measures under the Special Powers Act against individuals involved in hoarding and black marketing of fuel.
Speaking as the chief guest at a canal excavation programme in Dhaora Village under Shailkupa Upazila of Jhenaidah, the minister said, “A group of unscrupulous individuals is deliberately trying to destabilise the country by manipulating fuel supplies. They collect fuel from multiple stations on the same day, store it in bottles and drums at home, and return repeatedly to accumulate more.”
Asaduzzaman stressed that the government had exercised leniency until now, but, if necessary, it would enforce the harshest provisions of the Special Powers Act, including section 25, which carries severe penalties, up to and including death, for black marketing and hoarding.
He directed law enforcement and local administration officials to act decisively to prevent fuel shortages, adding, “The administration must remain strict, and members of our party (BNP) will remain vigilant like sentinels to assist in enforcement.”
The minister also spoke on the July Charter and the upcoming referendum, saying the BNP fully supports the charter and sees it as a “document of liberation,” shaped by the sacrifices of students and citizens during the July-August 2024 movement.
He suggested that constitutional amendments would be the proper path to implement the charter and rejected claims that it would be void if the referendum were cancelled.
The event was presided over by Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Md Abdullah Al Masud and attended by State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad and other officials.
.jpg "LPG cylinder price reduced to Tk1,885 in Bangladesh")