A mobile court of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has fined two fuel stations a total of Tk2.5 lakh for cheating customers by dispensing less fuel than advertised, with one pump found to be shortchanging 1 litre per every 10 litres.
The mobile court operations were conducted on Sunday at Sohrab Service Station in Kalyanpur and on Monday at Moin Motors Filling Station on Journalist Selina Parvin Smriti Road in Moghbazar.
During the operation at Sohrab Service Station in the Darus Salam Thana area, BSTI officials tested four dispensing units. Serious fraud was detected in two units, where customers received 1,080 millilitres and 980 millilitres less fuel per 10 litres respectively.
The establishment was fined Tk2 lakh under the ‘Weights and Measures Standards Act, 2018’ for the offence. The two defective dispensing units were immediately shut down.
At Moin Motors Filling Station in Moghbazar, the octane dispensing unit was tested on Monday. Upon inspection, it was found that the station was providing 80 millilitres less fuel per 10 litres.
The establishment was fined Tk50,000, and the defective dispensing unit was sealed.
The mobile courts were conducted under the leadership of BSTI Executive Magistrates Lutfunnesa Khanam and Sabekun Nahar.
BSTI Inspector (Metrology) Ravi Mohammad Itmam, Field Officer Sumaiya Afroz Liza, and Inspector (Metrology) Rezwanul Islam served as prosecutors.
BSTI authorities have said such operations will continue in the public interest to prevent fraudulent fuel measurement practices across the capital.
