The escalating conflict in West Asia following joint United States and Israeli strikes on Iran has triggered a chain reaction far beyond the immediate battlefield. While missiles and drones dominate headlines in the Gulf, the economic aftershocks are being felt thousands of kilometres away in South Asia. Countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, heavily dependent on imported energy and regional trade routes, are now grappling with fuel shortages, rising prices, panic buying and social unrest.
In Bangladesh, authorities have introduced fuel rationing for vehicles as fears of supply disruptions spread. Long queues have formed outside petrol stations in Dhaka and other cities, while protests and violence have erupted in some areas. Meanwhile in Pakistan, the crisis has disrupted cross-border trade with Iran and triggered panic buying of fuel amid soaring prices. In border regions of Balochistan, supplies of essential commodities have shrunk and prices of food and fuel have surged.
