Fuel Fraud: One Liter Missing in Every 10 Sold
Photo: Agamir Somoy
The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has uncovered alarming fuel measurement fraud in Dhaka city. Separate inspections at two filling stations found that one station was dispensing nearly 1 liter less fuel for every 10 liters purchased. Although customers paid for 10 liters, the station actually supplied only about 9 liters of fuel.
Authorities fined the two filling stations a total of Tk 250,000 for the fraud. They also sealed and shut down the defective dispensing units.
According to BSTI sources, separate mobile court drives took place on Sunday and Monday in different areas of Dhaka to prevent fuel measurement fraud affecting consumers.
On Sunday, BSTI conducted a drive at Sohrab Service Station in the Kallyanpur area under Darus Salam Police Station. During inspections of the station’s four dispensing units, officials detected serious irregularities in two of them.
Measurements showed that the two units dispensed 1,080 milliliters and 980 milliliters less fuel, respectively, for every 10 liters sold. In other words, the station charged customers for 10 liters while delivering nearly 1 liter less fuel.
Under the Weights and Measures Standards Act, 2018, authorities fined Sohrab Service Station Tk 200,000 for the offense. They also immediately sealed and shut down the two defective dispensing units.
Meanwhile, on Monday, authorities carried out another drive at Moin Motors Filling Station on Sangbadik Selina Parvin Sarani in Moghbazar. Tests on the station’s octane dispensing unit found that it dispensed 80 milliliters less fuel for every 10 liters sold. Authorities fined the filling station Tk 50,000 for the measurement fraud and sealed the defective unit.
BSTI Executive Magistrates Lutfunnesa Khanam and Sabekun Nahar led the two mobile court drives. BSTI Inspector (Metrology) Ravi Mohammad Itmam, Field Officer Sumaiya Afroz Liza, and Inspector (Metrology) Rezwanul Islam served as prosecutors during the operations.
BSTI authorities said they will continue such drives in the public interest to protect consumers and prevent fuel measurement fraud in the future.
