A mobile court in Chougachha upazila of Jashore seized about 6,000 litres of illegally stored fuel and fined three traders a total of Tk1.35 lakh during separate drives on Sunday afternoon.
Executive Magistrate Shoaib Hasan of the Jashore district administration led the first drive at Salua Bazar under Phulsara Union. During the operation, authorities found a large quantity of fuel illegally stored in the warehouse of trader Nizam Uddin.
The court fined him Tk1 lakh for stockpiling fuel without authorisation. Officials seized 5,600 litres of diesel, 242 litres of petrol and 38 litres of octane from the warehouse.
In the same market, the mobile court also fined another trader, Ruhul Amin, Tk15,000 for irregularities related to fuel storage.
Later at around 4pm, another mobile court conducted a drive at Chougachha Filling Station in the town. The operation was led by Chougachha Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Reshma Khatun.
The court fined the station’s manager, Golam Mostafa, 75, Tk20,000 under the Weights and Measures Standards Act.
The drive followed complaints from several motorcycle riders who reported mechanical problems after buying fuel from the station. The riders suspected that the fuel might have been mixed with kerosene.
Court sources said police, led by Chougachha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Rezaul Islam, recovered the illegally stored fuel after receiving a tip-off and informed the upazila administration. Acting on instructions from the district administration, the executive magistrate later conducted the mobile court at the site.
During the operation, officials recovered 28 barrels of diesel, each containing 200 litres, along with petrol and octane.
Chougachha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tanvir Ahmed said authorities have stored the fuel seized at Mina Filling Station and RS Filling Station. He added that officials will sell the fuel to consumers at fair prices and deposit the proceeds into the government treasury.
