On several recent mornings in Dhaka, fuel stations across the city have witnessed unusually long queues of motorcycles, private cars, SUVs and microbuses – an image that quickly raises concerns about fuel supply but in reality, reveals something deeper about how urban energy logistics now functions.
While such scenes can create the impression of an emerging shortage, they are often better understood through the lens of logistics and supply chain management. In many cases, the challenge is not an immediate lack of fuel itself but a temporary imbalance between distribution schedules and sudden spikes in consumer demand.
A particularly visible share of those waiting are motorcycle riders, many of whom now depend on their bikes as their primary source of income through ride-sharing and delivery platforms such as Uber, Pathao, and various courier services. For these riders, access to fuel is directly linked to their daily earnings.
Over the past decade, motorcycles have become an important component of Dhaka’s urban mobility and last-mile logistics ecosystem. Thousands of riders’ transport passengers, food, parcels and e-commerce deliveries across the city every day. While queues at fuel stations involve all types of vehicles, the frequency with which motorcycle riders refuel during daily work cycles can amplify congestion at retail stations during peak periods.
This transformation has quietly created a new layer of economic dependency on uninterrupted fuel availability. Motorcycle-based mobility now supports a significant portion of Dhaka’s service economy, from ride-sharing and food delivery to courier logistics and small online businesses.
When uncertainty arises, particularly during periods of volatility in global energy markets, demand behaviour can shift quickly. Even rumours of potential disruption can trigger precautionary purchasing. Riders and motorists may choose to fill their tanks earlier than usual or visit fuel stations more frequently. When such behaviour occurs simultaneously across a large urban population, visible queues can emerge at fuel stations.
From a supply chain management perspective, this phenomenon is well known. Logistics systems are typically designed around predictable demand patterns. Sudden surges, even temporary ones, can create short-term distribution bottlenecks at retail points despite adequate national inventory levels. In supply chain theory, this is often described as a demand amplification effect, where perception rather than actual shortage drives consumption behaviour.
Reports circulating in traditional media and social media have also suggested that some individuals may attempt to store gasoline in improvised containers or household storage units as a precaution. While such behaviour may stem from concern about potential supply disruptions, storing fuel outside properly certified containers can create serious fire hazards, particularly in densely populated urban environments such as Dhaka.
Dhaka’s urban structure makes this issue particularly sensitive. Residential buildings often lack dedicated storage spaces designed for hazardous materials, and improper fuel storage can significantly increase fire risks, especially during dry weather conditions. Clear public guidance from safety authorities discouraging residential fuel storage and promoting safe fuel handling practices could therefore play an important preventive role.
International experience shows that such situations can often be stabilised through timely communication and coordinated distribution management. For example, in the United Kingdom in 2021, temporary fuel queues emerged after concerns over delivery disruptions. Despite adequate national fuel availability, precautionary buying created short-term retail shortages. The situation eased once authorities reassured the public regarding fuel inventories and reinforced delivery operations. Similarly, during fuel distribution disruptions in the United States following the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack in 2021, authorities emphasised public communication and safety guidance to discourage stockpiling. These experiences highlight that in many cases, managing public perception can be as important as managing physical supply.
For Bangladesh, the current situation should be viewed as a reminder of how closely urban livelihoods are now connected to energy distribution systems. Motorcycle riders, private motorists and commercial drivers alike depend on reliable fuel access to maintain the flow of urban mobility and services.
From a policy perspective, several practical steps could help maintain stability in such situations. First, transparent communication about fuel supply conditions is essential. When consumers understand that national inventories remain stable and that distribution systems are functioning normally, precautionary purchasing behaviour usually declines. Second, fuel distribution planning can increasingly incorporate real-time demand patterns. Data from ride-sharing platforms, delivery networks and traffic flows could help identify peak refuelling periods and geographic demand clusters, allowing fuel companies to adjust delivery schedules to stations experiencing concentrated demand. Third, authorities may consider targeted measures to support the gig-economy transport workforce. Motorcycle riders supporting ride-sharing, courier and food delivery services now form a critical layer of Dhaka’s urban logistics network. Ensuring uninterrupted fuel access for these workers helps maintain continuity across several service sectors. Fourth, public awareness campaigns regarding safe fuel handling and storage can help prevent unnecessary safety risks in residential environments. Finally, the situation also highlights the importance of gradually diversifying urban mobility energy sources. Over time, the adoption of electric two-wheelers and alternative energy solutions could help reduce pressure on gasoline distribution systems while improving environmental sustainability.
At present, there is little evidence that Bangladesh faces an immediate fuel supply crisis. However, the queues observed at some stations illustrate how quickly perception can influence demand within complex urban systems.
Ultimately, the situation offers an important lesson for Dhaka’s rapidly evolving urban economy. Fuel distribution today supports far more than private transport – it underpins ride-sharing services, food delivery networks, courier logistics and countless small businesses that depend on daily mobility.
If Dhaka’s mobility economy continues to expand while fuel distribution systems remain designed for older demand patterns, temporary queues may become a recurring feature rather than an occasional anomaly. Strengthening the resilience of urban energy logistics today will therefore be essential for ensuring the stability of the city’s transport, service and digital commerce systems in the years ahead.
The writer is a Port Shipping & Logistics Strategist | Adjunct Faculty, Bangladesh Maritime University
