B.Mirror Desk: Several officials who held key responsibilities in the state-run fuel procurement system have joined a private business circle immediately after retirement. Some were top-level executives at the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) or its subsidiary oil marketing companies. While some worked directly in fuel procurement and marketing, others were responsible for dealing with international suppliers, tenders, and pricing-related activities.

Investigations reveal that a number of these former officials have, at various times, become associated with Dr. Ejazur Rahman’s business entities—Seven Mark and Transbangla Commodities Limited. According to information from current and former BPC officials and multiple sources within the energy sector, at least ten former employees of BPC and its subsidiaries have worked with or joined Ejaz’s business ventures at some point.
This situation raises questions about whether the expertise gained during government service—specifically regarding fuel procurement, tendering, supplier selection, pricing, and institutional networking—is being leveraged to provide undue advantages to a specific business group after retirement.
The investigation also uncovered details regarding the geographical proximity between Ejaz’s business operations and BPC’s offices.
It has been found that the corporate operations of Seven Mark and Transbangla Commodities Limited are conducted from the same building in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area. Investigations confirmed that BPC’s Dhaka liaison office is also located in that very building.
No specific legal provision was found prohibiting the co-location of the state-run fuel procurement agency’s office and the offices of local representatives for BPC-listed international fuel suppliers within the same building. However, stakeholders in the energy sector believe that such proximity naturally raises questions, particularly when considering confidential information regarding tenders and pricing.
In international fuel tenders, the rates, premiums, and other commercial terms proposed by various companies are considered highly sensitive. Gaining prior knowledge of a competitor’s proposal could create an opportunity to become the lowest bidder by undercutting the price—even by a narrow margin. Several current and former BPC officials have alleged that the business circle linked to Ejaz leverages long-standing internal connections to secure advantageous positions in various tenders. However, the report did not present independent evidence to substantiate these allegations.
A review of BPC’s supplier list further clarifies the relationship between Ejaz’s business circle and international fuel suppliers.
Investigations revealed that at least six of the eleven international refined fuel suppliers listed by BPC maintain local representation or business ties with two companies owned by Dr. Ejazur Rahman.
Information indicates that Singapore’s Unipec and Indonesia’s BSP-Japin are represented through Seven Mark.
Meanwhile, investigations found that Transbangla Commodities Limited maintains local representation ties with Petco Trading Labuan Company Limited, PTT International Trading, Vitol Asia, and Sinochem International.
In other words, while these entities operate independently at the international level, a significant portion of their local business connections in Bangladesh is linked to two companies within the same circle.
The name of Mustafa Qudrut-e-Elahi, former Managing Director of Jamuna Oil Company Limited, has emerged as an example of a former BPC official’s involvement with Ejaz’s business enterprises.
Multiple BPC sources stated that he has been associated with Transbangla Commodities Limited since March of this year. Sources further claim that he plays a pivotal role in various fuel-related business activities whenever Dr. Ejazur Rahman is abroad
However, no definitive information was obtained regarding his specific designation, the nature of his responsibilities, or the exact date he formally joined Transbangla Commodities.
Some individuals associated with BPC allege that relationships, experience, and connections cultivated during their tenure in government service are being leveraged for private business activities after retirement. They question whether a conflict of interest arises when an official, having held a key position in the state-run fuel sector, joins a local agency representing a major supplier in that same industry.
Some BPC officials claim that in certain tenders over the past few years, companies represented locally by Ejaz emerged as the lowest bidders by very narrow margins compared to their competitors.
They believe that verifying this requires an analysis of bid sheets from international tenders held over the last few years. Specifically, reviewing the premium gap between the lowest and second-lowest bidders, the tender schedules, and the consistent participation of the involved companies could reveal whether any abnormal patterns exist.

For this reason, some officials have called for an independent review of BPC’s comprehensive bid sheets and technical and financial evaluation reports from recent years.
Several BPC officials have also raised questions regarding the qualifications of certain international companies represented locally by Ejaz; one such company is Indonesia’s BSP-Japin.
Officials have questioned the company’s eligibility as a G2G (government-to-government) supplier, citing concerns over whether it possesses its own refinery, holds refinery ownership, or has the necessary production and export capabilities.
Citing port documents, they further noted that several fuel shipments arriving for BPC under BSP-Japin’s name originated from Malaysia and Singapore rather than Indonesia.
However, the country of origin for a shipment does not, in itself, conclusively prove a company’s supply eligibility or the validity of a contract. A comprehensive review of contract terms, source approvals, and relevant documentation is required to assess the situation accurately.
Energy sector experts observe that the issue extends beyond the activities of a single businessman or company; it touches upon questions of transparency, competition, and decision-making autonomy in state-level fuel procurement.
Stakeholders believe scrutiny is warranted when the same local agent represents multiple international suppliers, former state fuel company officials join that agent’s firm after retirement, and companies within the same business circle consistently secure government contracts. In particular, a comparative analysis of data—such as when former BPC officials retired and joined private firms, what responsibilities they held during their government tenure, and the types of government work orders secured by the entities they subsequently represented—could clarify potential connections.
According to energy sector experts, energy is a strategic national commodity. Therefore, alongside procuring products at low costs, factors such as security of supply, maximum savings of public funds, a competitive environment, and institutional autonomy in decision-making are equally crucial.
Against this backdrop, the trend of former officials from state-owned energy entities joining the same business circles after retirement has reignited discussions regarding the “revolving door” phenomenon—a pattern of close personnel movement between the public and private sectors. An independent, document-based review is required to determine whether there is any direct link between this practice and the awarding of energy import tenders or government work orders.