Tests reveal fuel oils in Bangladesh contain sulphur far above limits, worsening air pollution, damaging engines, and threatening public health as experts urge urgent action to meet global standards now.
Fuel oils sold in Bangladesh have been found to contain sulphur levels as high as 2,800 parts per million (ppm), raising serious concerns over air pollution, public health, and regulatory enforcement, according to laboratory test results and expert opinions.
The government-approved sulphur limit in fuel is currently set at 350 ppm, while the internationally accepted standard is just 10 ppm. Experts and environmental activists say fuel quality can no longer be treated as a cost-saving issue, warning that failure to act will deepen both health and environmental crises.
According to the IQAir World Air Quality Report 2024, Bangladesh ranked second among the most polluted countries, while Dhaka was the third most polluted city globally. The World Bank estimated that air pollution caused between 78,000 and 88,000 deaths in Bangladesh in 2019 and resulted in economic losses equivalent to 4.4 per cent of GDP.
Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said fuel quality is one of the most critical contributors to air pollution. “One country’s lungs are not different from another’s,” she said. “Bangladesh must reach international standards.”
Fuel quality tests were conducted by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR). While some samples met the government limit, several were found to contain sulphur levels ranging from 1,348 ppm to as high as 2,800 ppm.
BSTI sources said samples collected in June and July from 12 filling stations in Dhaka showed three stations selling diesel with exceptionally high sulphur content. A sample collected from a Meghna Petroleum distributor in Jatrabari contained 2,565 ppm sulphur, while samples from Padma Oil and Jamuna Oil distributors in the same area showed 1,880 ppm and 1,348 ppm, respectively.
Professor Abdus Salam of the Department of Chemistry at Dhaka University said sulphur not only pollutes the air directly but also contributes to the formation of fine particulate matter. “These particles penetrate deep into the lungs and significantly increase the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases,” he said. “That is why most countries have drastically reduced sulphur in fuel. The levels detected in Bangladesh are alarming.”
In October, a motorcycle manufacturing company collected an octane sample from a Meghna Oil distributor in Gazipur and sent it to BCSIR for testing. The report found sulphur content at 2,800 ppm. Motorcycle users have increasingly complained about engine damage and rapid corrosion inside fuel tanks. An engineer from the company said fuel with such sulphur levels is extremely harmful to engines and poses safety risks for consumers.
Experts caution that fuel meeting the government’s 350 ppm standard is still unsafe. The global benchmark of 10 ppm has already been adopted across Europe and by neighbouring India.
Bangladesh raised its permissible sulphur limit in 2023 during the previous government’s tenure, allowing the import of cheaper high-sulphur diesel. Under conditions approved by the Industry Ministry, fuel containing up to 2,500 ppm sulphur could be imported, provided blending reduced sulphur levels to within the approved limit before retail sale. However, regulators and experts have expressed doubts over whether these conditions are being properly enforced. BSTI officials said filling station owners often blame oil companies when served with show cause notices, making enforcement difficult. BSTI has now decided to collect fuel samples directly from oil depots and storage facilities.
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) is responsible for fuel import, refining, and distribution. The fuel supply chain has long faced allegations of weak quality control and poor monitoring, with distributor and filling station owners’ associations also submitting complaints regarding substandard fuel.
Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said the government is working to fix fuel quality standards and reduce sulphur levels using post-import technologies. He said the detailed project proposal for a new refinery may be approved soon.
Energy Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam said the state-owned Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL) is 57 years old and does not have sulphur removal facilities. “There is no desulphurisation plant in the existing refinery,” he said, adding that new refinery plans include sulphur reduction technology and that sulphur levels would be lowered gradually.
Experts and environmental activists say fuel quality can no longer be treated as a purely economic decision. Failure to act will endanger public health, increase environmental injustice, and worsen Bangladesh’s already critical air pollution problem.
Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, said fuel quality should be treated as both a public health and climate justice issue. “Low-quality fuel is directly linked to toxic air, preventable illnesses, and environmental injustice,” he said. “When sulphur levels remain far above international standards, it is the poorest urban communities, children, and outdoor workers who suffer the most.”
Health experts warn that continued exposure to sulphur pollution poses serious risks. Dr Sajid Hossain Khan of the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital said sulphur damages airways, causes inflammation, and reduces lung function. “It increases the risk of asthma, COPD, bronchitis, respiratory distress, and heart disease,” he said, noting that children, the elderly, and chronically ill patients are most vulnerable.
