An attempted oil theft involving a punctured Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) pipeline has been uncovered in Mirsharai upazila of Chattogram.
The incident came to light on Thursday when oil began overflowing from the pipeline and spilled onto the roadside near Hadi Fakirhat Bazar along the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway.
Police said a local resident, Md Afsar, built a tin-roofed house over the underground pipeline about a month ago and later rented it out to Amirul Islam. After taking possession of the house, Amirul allegedly dug into the ground and punctured the pipeline in an attempt to siphon off oil.
However, when oil began gushing uncontrollably from the puncture on Thursday morning, Amirul fled the scene, police said.
As oil spread around the house and nearby areas, local residents noticed the spill, and some began collecting the oil using buckets, mugs and other containers.
After being informed, officials from the upazila administration, police, and Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot. BPC officials later arrived, shut down the oil supply, and temporarily brought the situation under control.
Mirsharai police station Officer-in-Charge Farida Yasmin said several drums of oil, a drilling machine and other equipment were seized from the scene.
“The BPC is preparing to file a case over the incident. For interrogation, Afsar’s wife, Nurjahan Begum, has been taken into custody,” she said.
BPC officials said an investigation is underway to assess the extent of damage to the pipeline and determine the quantity of oil stolen.
Bd-pratidin English/ JIsan
