Dhaka, May 18 -- Bangladesh's fuel import bill has surged dramatically in the first nine months of the ongoing fiscal year, driven by soaring global oil prices and rising domestic demand amid expanding economic activity.

Between July and March of FY2025-26, the country spent $6.3 billion importing fuel oil -- a staggering 54.41 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, according to Bangladesh Bank data.

The jump has sharply increased fuel's share in the national import basket. Of the country's total import expenditure of $54.55 billion during the period, 11.55 percent went towards fuel oil imports, up from 7.79 percent a year earlier.

The increase was not only in spending. Import volumes also rose significantly.

At the sam...