Filling stations in upazilas are facing an acute fuel shortage, with supplies falling far short of demand compared to pumps in urban areas.
The Rupnagar Filling Station in the Bariyarhat area of Mirsarai last received an octane shipment on 27 March. Even after eight days, the owner remains uncertain about when the next supply will arrive.
Faruk Mia, owner of the station, said the crisis is not limited to octane, supplies of petrol and diesel are also inadequate. “We used to receive around 45,000 litres of fuel weekly through five oil tankers. Now, we are getting only about 18,000 litres,” he said, adding that supply has dropped by nearly 60% compared to weekly demand.
The situation at Rupnagar reflects a broader trend across filling stations in Mirsarai and other upazilas, where owners report receiving only 50%-60% of their required fuel.
Operators allege a disparity in distribution, claiming that upazila-based filling stations are being deprived compared to those in cities. As a result, vehicles dependent on octane, including motorcycles and private cars, are struggling to refuel in these areas.
When octane does become available, long queues and bulk buying quickly exhaust supplies, forcing stations to suspend sales for extended periods.
According to the Petrol Pump Owners Association, fuel distribution by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) subsidiaries – Padma, Meghna, and Jamuna – is still based on last year’s demand. For instance, allocations for
April 2026 are being made in line with April 2025 figures, despite increased consumption needs. In many cases, actual deliveries fall even below those outdated benchmarks.
Filling station owners argue that such a system is unrealistic. “Demand cannot remain the same after a year. This supply model does not reflect current market needs,” they said.
Md Abu Tayyab Patwari, convener of the Chattogram Divisional Petrol Pump Owners Association, noted that rural and upazila filling stations receive at least 20% less fuel than their urban counterparts. He said octane shortages have forced many stations to halt sales for days.
However, he also attributed part of the crisis to unusual buying patterns. “Some motorcyclists are repeatedly purchasing octane and reselling it at higher prices. Otherwise, there is no clear reason for such a spike in demand,” he added.
Officials of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation declined to comment on the disparity in supply between city and upazila stations.
BPC Secretary Shahina Sultana told TIMES of Bangladesh that fuel-related matters are now being handled at the ministerial level, and she was unable to provide further details. Other senior officials also did not respond to queries.
Meanwhile, fuel imports continue. On 3 April, two vessels carrying refined diesel arrived at Chattogram Port – one from Singapore with 27,300 metric tons and another from Malaysia with 34,000 metric tons. Earlier, on 31 March, a Malaysian vessel, PVT Solana, delivered an additional 27,300 metric tons.
Altogether, around 89,000 metric tons of diesel arrived via three ships within a week, while additional supplies were imported from India through pipelines in two phases. In total, nearly 100,000 metric tons of diesel entered the country during the period.
BPC Deputy General Manager (Finance) Md Jahangir Kabir expressed optimism, saying the recent imports are expected to stabilize the country’s fuel supply.
