10,000 litres of fuel found hidden in underground water tank in Natore

A mobile court fines the trader Tk 5,000 for hoarding

A mobile court has seized about 10,000 litres of fuel oil stored illegally in an underground water tank in Natore’s Singra Upazila.

The court also fined a businessman Tk 5,000 on Saturday afternoon.

Singra Upazila administrator Abdullah Al Rifat said the raid discovered the massive fuel cache hidden in a water tank buried beneath a bamboo grove.

The owner of the stock, 34-year-old Rubel Hossain, who runs “Sotota Traders” in Singra Thana Mor, was fined for the hazardous and illegal storage.

The court also ordered him to relocate the fuel to a proper retail facility within two days.

"We have warned several retail oil sellers and inspected four fuel pumps in the Upazila to prevent such illegal hoarding," said Rifat.

The raid reflects authorities’ vigilance against fuel oil hoarding and the tension triggered by the escalation in the Middle East.