Dhaka, March 30 -- Seeking to quell public anxiety amid long queues at filling stations, Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku informed parliament that Bangladesh has no fuel shortage, attributing the recent instability to panic buying and illegal hoarding.

In a statement delivered in the parliament on Monday, he asserted that fuel supply has actually increased compared with last year, despite the global volatility caused by conflicts in the Middle East.

The minister emphasised that the sight of long queues at pumps is a "psychological" issue rather than a reflection of the total supply chain.

"The real problem now is the tendency to buy more than necessary and store it," the minister said.

He cited data from the Trust Filling Sta...