Dhaka, March 20 -- Top economists and energy analysts are calling on the government to take "emergency preemptive measures" to secure Bangladesh's fuel and gas supply, as the price of crude oil surged to $112 per barrel following an Israeli strike on the world's largest gas field and no visible sign that the war on Iran is likely to subside soon.

The sharp spike in energy costs-sparked by the escalating conflict in West Asia (or Middle East, from a Western perspective)-poses a significant threat to Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves and domestic inflation, experts warned.

Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), emphasized that Bangladesh can no longer afford a "wait-and-see" approac...