Queues at filling stations across Dhaka have started to ease, although a significant number of outlets are still struggling with inadequate fuel supplies.
Officials at several filling stations in different parts of the capital told TIMES of Bangladesh that many pumps are currently operating at a reduced capacity, as the volume of fuel they are receiving falls short of existing demand.
Fuel consumption increased sharply after the Middle East war broke out on 28 February. Concerns over possible supply disruptions led to widespread anxiety about fuel availability within the country, prompting precautionary purchasing and putting additional pressure on supplies.
In an effort to manage the sudden surge in demand, the government introduced temporary daily purchase limits – allowing between 2 and 5 litres for motorcycles and up to 10 litres for cars. The restriction, however, was lifted on Sunday ahead of Eid al-Fitr.
According to a daily report from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, oil distribution companies collectively held 229,742 tonnes of petroleum products in stock as of 17 March.
However, this total represents overall petroleum reserves and does not entirely consist of fuel suitable for transportation use.
Petroleum products include diesel, petrol (octane), and kerosene used in vehicles, alongside furnace oil and aviation fuel, which are designated for power generation, industrial use, and the aviation sector.
Employees at a number of filling stations said that while queues had not disappeared entirely, they had become noticeably shorter compared to the previous few days.
At Meghna Service Centre at the capital’s Poribagh, the number of waiting vehicles was relatively limited and no longer stretched toward Shahbagh, unlike earlier conditions.
Meanwhile, at QG Samdani Petrol Pump & Co in Banglabazar, the usual lines of buses were absent, as the station had exhausted its diesel supply.
The ongoing shortage is also beginning to affect inter-district bus services ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, with transport operators facing increasing difficulty in maintaining regular schedules amid rising passenger demand.
Md Babu, an employee at QG Samdani Petrol Pump, said they had received only about half of the diesel and octane they had requested.
“We were unable to sell fuel to buses or private vehicles at full capacity due to the limited supply. In some cases, our trucks even returned empty from the depots,” he said.
Anwar Hossain, an employee at another Samdani Petrol Pump in Nilkhet, expressed a similar situation, noting that they received only half of the octane they had requested from the depot.
