Dhaka, March 11 -- A mobile court in Sylhet has sentenced three men to three months in prison each for illegally stockpiling and price-gouging fuel.

The drive was conducted between 1:30am and 7am on Wednesday in Sylhet Sadar Upazila's Dhopagul.

According to Upazila administrator (UNO) Khushnoor Rubaiyath, the raid targeted homes where fuel was being stored unlawfully to be sold at inflated prices.

The convicts are Usman, identified with a single name, Zakir Hossain and Hafiz Md Lahin Mia.

Khushnoor said that the trio had hoarded nearly 3,000 litres of fuel, a practice that risked creating an artificial energy crisis in the local market.

"The convicts were selling this fuel at exorbitant rates," she explained. "During the raid, we sei...