State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit on Friday said Bangladesh currently has the highest stock of refined petroleum products in its history, assuring that the government has sufficient supplies to meet fuel demand for the coming months.

Speaking to reporters after visiting Eastern Refinery in Patenga, Chattogram, he said, “I can say with great responsibility and pride that Bangladesh now has the highest level of refined fuel stock ever. This has never happened before in the country’s history.”

Referring to global concerns over jet fuel availability, the state minister said Bangladesh also maintains a comparable reserve. “You have seen that even the European Union is worried about having only six weeks of jet fuel. I can responsibly say that we also have around six weeks’ worth of jet fuel in stock,” he added.

Amit said the government has already secured sufficient fuel supplies to meet demand for April and May, while efforts are underway to ensure availability for June. “We have arranged the required fuel for these two months and ensured supply lines. Now we are working mainly to meet the demand for June,” he said.

The state-run Eastern Refinery, the country’s only crude oil processing facility, refines around 1.5 million tonnes of crude oil annually, he noted, adding that the crude is mainly imported from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. “Since its establishment, supplies have primarily come from these two sources,” he said.

He, however, noted that while scheduled crude shipments arrived in January and February, deliveries for March and April were disrupted due to the Middle East crisis.

The government is now trying to procure fuel from alternative sources, he said, adding that both refined and crude oil are being sought. “One cargo was purchased but could not be delivered on schedule. Two more cargoes are on standby, and we expect one of them to arrive in the second half of this month,” he added.

Amit said Eastern Refinery’s production capacity has temporarily declined, but the government increased refined fuel imports to avoid any disruption in supply.

Due to crude shortages stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict, refinery output dropped to its lowest level last Monday, he said. Two of the five units were shut down, while the remaining three continued operating at limited capacity.

He said the situation is being used to carry out maintenance work. “Regular maintenance becomes difficult due to continuous operations. So we are completing long-pending maintenance of two units during this period,” he added.

The state minister expressed hope that the refinery would resume full-capacity operations once new crude oil arrives at the end of the month.

He also praised journalists for responsible reporting on the energy sector and urged them to remain cautious in disseminating information. “Accurate and responsible reporting will help reduce panic rather than increase it,” he said.