SANGSAD BHABAN : Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today urged the opposition to form a national unity instead of avoiding blaming game in order to face emerging energy crisis in the country.
“We are very much sincere to discuss about the energy situation in the parliament and the ruling and the opposition should be united to face any such critical situation,” he said.
The home minister came up with this appeal while discussing on an urgent public important notice on energy crisis under section 68 of the rules of procedure raised by opposition leader Dr M Shafiqur Rahman of Dhaka-15 at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban here.
Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal was in the chair.
Home Minister said the ongoing energy situation is not ultimately an energy crisis as the government is handling the situation through implicating a controlled and balanced management. The law enforcing agencies are taking tough action against the illegal hoarding and smuggling of the energy commodity.
There would be a serious disorder with the energy if all the law enforcing agencies, local administration, and energy department including the Prime Minister would not continuously monitor it, he said.
Even we have successfully controlled the smuggling of the fuel; he said adding that otherwise there would be a disaster in the country.
The country has no energy crisis but we are focusing on the issue raised by the opposition in the parliament as we want to make the parliament as the center of all discussion. But unfortunately, these important issues were not discussed in the parliament in the past, said the minister.
Talking about the fuel price, the home minister said the fuel price has been increased in line with the international market as different countries in the world already have increased it up to 50 to 100 percent, said the home minister.
Rejecting the claim of energy crisis in the country, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud said the country has no real energy crisis but a vested quarter has created an artificial crisis in an attempt to make an informal market of the fuel energy.
Claiming the present energy stock as satisfactory, the minister said the country has adequate stock of fuel energy including diesel, octane and petrol. Even the supply of the fuel energy has been increased in the market compare to the last year.
According to the latest stock of the fuel energy till April 22, the country has 1.32 lakh tonnes diesel, 25,423 tonnes Octane, 18,440 tonnes petrol, 19,439 tonnes jet fuel, 1026 tonnes marine fuel and 62,536 tonnes furnace oil.
Even the daily supply of the fuel energy also has been increased significantly as daily supply of diesel in 2025 was 313 tonnes while it has now been increased to 467 tonnes with 37.5 percent more compared to the last year.
The supply petrol has been increased by 33 percent, octane by 26 percent during this year.
The long queue at the petrol pumps for collecting fuel energy, the energy minister said although there is a long queue at the petrol pumps but it does not prove that the country has energy crisis, saying that the consumers are getting their necessary fuel but a section of unscrupulous traders are creating extra pressure by creating an informal market.
Talking about price hike of the LPG gas cylinder, the minister said the immediate past fascist government has given the LPG under private sector and that’s why the price of the LPG is not controlled by the government.
The LPG price is now controlled by the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Addressing on the issue, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit said the responsible and wise decision of the government has made the country’s energy supply situation stable.
The price of per barrel diesel has been increased to US$ 160 from the earlier price of US$88 at the international market. Even the price of Octane and jet fuel also has increased significantly.
Under the situation, the government has strengthened the energy fuel stock through quick procurement, review the fuel supply and exploring the alternative sources.
Although the fuel price has been increased globally but Bangladesh has coordinated the fuel price comparatively in lower rate, said the state minister, adding that at the international market, diesel price was US$ 82.05 on February 2 in 2026 while after the war, it increased to US$ 88.04 on February 27. On April 17, 2026, the price rose to 162.93 US$. After the war, the diesel price has been increased by 142.73 percent, Octane 72.23 percent and Jet fuel 143.08 percent.
Calling the government to make a common platform on the national issue, Opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman said the government should come forward to resolve the energy crisis through building a common platform.
“The government and the opposition should to work jointly for resolving the issue as we have come here [parliament] as a representative of the people”, he told the parliament while taking part in the discussion.
If we work collectively then the people of the country would have to know the real picture of the energy situation, said Dr Shafique, adding that but the government had tried to hide the real picture through giving a statement under section 300.
Opposition lawmakers Masud Parvez of Chuadanga-1, Atiqur Rahman Mujahid of Kurigram-2, Saiful Alam of Dhaka-12 also took part in the discussion.
