Staff Reporter

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Undertakings has sought an explanation from the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) regarding the roots of the country’s fuel crisis following the swearing-in of the current government, and how raising petroleum prices resolved the issue despite supply chain mechanisms remaining unchanged.

The committee made the query during its maiden meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Tuesday.

Chaired by the committee head and Chief Whip of Parliament, Nurul Islam Moni, the meeting was attended by committee members including Whip Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Opu, Whip Md. Akhtaruzzaman Mia, Tahsina Rushdir, Khondokar Abu Ashfaq, Mohammad Coysar Ahmed, Biswas Jahangir Alam, Md. Mustafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, and Mohammad Najibur Rahman.

The meeting reviewed the overall activities of BPC and its subsidiary entities. Discussions focused on the rationale behind periodic adjustments and increases in petroleum prices, strategies to keep prices at a tolerable level, and the role of Padma, Meghna, and Jamuna Oil PLC in price fluctuations.

Furthermore, the parliamentary watchdog recommended that BPC present a detailed breakdown in the next meeting concerning current domestic fuel demand, storage capacity, and the organization’s preparedness to meet future demands.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, senior BPC officials, and representatives from the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat along with related ministries and agencies.