Md Rafiq was waiting in line for fuel at Meghna Model Service Centre and Filling Station in Paribagh, while Md Asif was queued at Talukdar Filling Station in Asadgate.
On Wednesday, the experiences of the two men waiting for fuel in the capital were almost identical. One had joined the queue around 7am and the other by 8am, yet by 4pm both were still standing in line, meaning one had waited eight hours and the other nine.
The crisis in fuel supply has persisted for more than a month. The government claimed that panic buying has driven up demand, forcing people to purchase more fuel than usual.
Officials also said that fresh import orders were being placed frequently to meet demand. However, in reality, queues at petrol pumps across the country are growing longer by the day. Even two weeks ago, motorists in the capital could obtain fuel after waiting three to four hours.
That waiting time has now increased to between eight and ten hours. Even after such long waits, there is no guarantee of getting fuel.
On Tuesday afternoon, during the Pohela Baishakh holiday, weary and exhausted motorcyclists were seen outside Talukdar Filling Station in Asadgate.
They said they had joined the queue at 7am, when it had been even longer. Asked whether it would take another two hours, one rider said, “It may not take that long, but I am worried whether I will get any fuel. I heard an announcement a short while ago saying supplies are running out.”
Does the fuel pass offer relief?
The government’s new initiative, the fuel pass, has offered little relief to people struggling to obtain fuel.
After waiting in line for eight hours in Paribagh, Rafiq encountered another problem.
He could not properly understand how the fuel pass system worked. Although he claimed to have the pass on his mobile phone, he was unable to locate it and handed the phone to pump operator Md Nazmul, who also could not retrieve the QR code.
Instead of receiving 10 litres of fuel with the pass, he had to settle for only five litres. Under an initiative by the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), a system has been introduced at seven filling stations allowing
customers to purchase fuel worth Tk1,000 by scanning a QR code. However, there is no separate queue for those with and without the pass.
Users question the practical benefit if they still have to stand in the same line. Many people are also struggling to understand how the system works.
Nazmul, an employee at Meghna Filling Station, said he had helped at least a hundred people register on the app since morning.
Many are unaware that they must first download the app to purchase fuel. He told TIMES of Bangladesh, “People who do not understand the system often become frustrated. If it takes longer to assist one person, others in the queue also become impatient.”
There is also no guarantee of getting fuel even with a pass. At the pump in Asadgate, one customer said he had returned home empty-handed the previous day after waiting for several hours.
He had returned again at dawn, hoping for better luck. The man, Saifullah, said, “Previously, we could not get more than Tk500 worth of fuel. Now, with a pass, we can get Tk1,000 worth. But the suffering of standing in queues has not reduced. There should be a separate line for app users.”
Fuel pass users are allowed to purchase a maximum of 60 litres per month. For those who carry passengers on motorbikes, this limit is proving difficult.
App-based rider Md Rashed said, “It will be hard for us to manage with only 60 litres.” He added that a separate consideration or special arrangement should have been introduced for drivers in this sector.
