WP: Wartime fuel shortages trigger panic, theft, violence across Asia

Fuel shortages linked to disruptions in Middle Eastern energy supplies are fuelling unrest, crime and fatalities across parts of Asia, as governments struggle to contain the economic and social fallout, The Washington Post writes.

In Bangladesh, Pakistan and neighbouring countries, long queues at petrol stations and constrained supplies have triggered panic buying, black-market activity and, in some cases, deadly confrontations.

Authorities and industry groups report that gas station workers have been killed during thefts or after altercations with frustrated motorists.

Illegal syndicates are also exploiting the shortages by hoarding fuel for resale, while households and transport operators face rising costs and limited access to energy. In the Philippines, thousands of transport workers have staged strikes in response to surging diesel prices.

“This is a madness. This is intolerable,” said Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, an adviser to Bangladesh’s prime minister. “Where is the global conscience to solve this crisis?”

Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated nations globally, imports around 95% of its energy and remains heavily exposed to supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted by the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Fuel stations have struggled to maintain inventories, with deliveries described as inconsistent.

Industry representatives say stations are running dry within hours of receiving shipments due to heightened demand and panic buying. Md Najmul Haque, president of the Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners Association, said daily attacks have been reported at fuel stations nationwide, and workers are increasingly facing threats and violence.

Violence has included assaults on staff, as well as a fatal incident in western Bangladesh, where a truck driver Sujat Ali was arrested after allegedly killing gas station manager Nahid Sardar following a dispute over fuel access. Station owner Rabiul Islam said deliveries had become unreliable and supplies were insufficient to meet demand.

“There was very insufficient,” Rabiul said. “We could not satisfy everyone.”

Security concerns have prompted authorities to deploy paramilitary forces to guard fuel depots, impose purchase limits and use mobile courts to target hoarding. However, officials acknowledge that prolonged disruption could deepen inflationary pressures and insecurity.

Bangladesh is also facing rising costs for liquefied natural gas imports, with subsidies increasing sharply. Shafiqul Alam, lead Bangladesh researcher at the U.S.-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, warned that continued price pressure would force difficult policy choices between reducing imports or raising domestic prices.

“If prices remain elevated, the government will have to either reduce imports or increase prices,” Shafiqul said. Both would set the stage for greater insecurity.

Similar strains are visible elsewhere. In Indonesia, heavy fuel subsidies remain in place but are under fiscal pressure, while Pakistan has also seen isolated violent incidents at fuel stations. Gul Nawaz Afridi, chair of the Petroleum Dealers Association in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, warned that tensions could escalate further if subsidies become unsustainable. “We know people may turn violent anytime against gas stations’ owner and workers,” he said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev