Dhaka, April 18 -- Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL), the only state-owned oil refinery in Bangladesh, has been facing a shortage of crude oil since the beginning of April as imported stocks are running low.

The refinery is operating at a reduced capacity due to disruptions in crude oil imports linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict now. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has affected the scheduled import of a total of 300,000 tonnes of oil during March and April.

Of this, a cargo of 100,000 tonnes of Arabian Light Crude, scheduled for March, was loaded, but could not cross the Strait of Hormuz due to security concerns and is now stranded at Ras Tanura Port.

The second consignment -- 100,000 tonnes of Murban Crude -- has been declare...