Global crude oil prices fell for a sixth consecutive day on Wednesday, marking the longest losing streak since the onset of military tensions between Washington and Tehran. In Asian trading, Brent crude dropped by 0.8 per cent to $98.43 per barrel. The sustained decline represents a notable shift in international energy markets, recording its longest falling streak since August of last year. Concurrently, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dipped below $90 per barrel, reflecting a broader retreat of more than 10 per cent over the past five trading sessions.
The easing of prices follows renewed diplomatic engagement, with American and Iranian officials holding discussions for the first time since June. Market sentiment was further influenced by announcements from Riyadh regarding preparations to reactivate its East-West pipeline and resume crude exports along the Red Sea coast. Reduced demand from Beijing has also alleviated global market pressures, as Chinese authorities increasingly draw down strategic reserves rather than expanding imports during the final quarter of the year.
Declining energy costs have provided immediate relief to global equity markets, sending major American indices to fresh record highs amidst renewed investor appetite in the technology sector. Financial analysts note that cheaper fuel has moderated market expectations regarding interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, with the probability of an October rate increase falling to roughly 53 per cent. Meanwhile, sovereign bond yields remained relatively steady, with the US 10-year Treasury yield edging up by 0.01 percentage points to 4.96 per cent.
In terms of local currency conversion, one standard barrel equals 159 litres. At an international price of $98.43 per barrel, crude oil translates to approximately 62 cents per litre, or around 76 Bangladeshi taka based on an exchange rate of 123 taka per US dollar. However, this benchmark reflects solely the raw international price. Domestic consumer prices factor in additional costs including freight, insurance, port handling, refining, storage, distribution, and statutory taxes. Bangladesh imports nearly 7 million tonnes of oil annually against a domestic refining capacity of just 1.5 million tonnes, requiring substantial finished fuel imports that influence local market pricing models.



