Dhaka, April 12 -- When operations at Mongla Port slow to a near standstill because vessels cannot access fuel, it is tempting to view the disruption as a temporary inconvenience. The reality is far more serious. What has unfolded is not an isolated breakdown-it is a signal of a deeper systemic vulnerability at the intersection of energy, logistics, and national economic resilience.

Reports of lighter vessels remaining idle, cargo unloading being disrupted, and importers incurring mounting costs are not just operational setbacks. They reveal how tightly Bangladesh's economy is bound to a fragile chain of dependencies. When fuel supply falters, even briefly, the effects ripple quickly through ports, inland transport, and into factories an...