Fuel shortages deepened across the country on Thursday as more filling stations ran out of octane and petrol, while diesel supplies also tightened, amid a halt in distribution due to Independence Day.
With oil depots closed for the national holiday, the supply chain was disrupted, worsening an already strained situation driven by panic buying and rising demand.
By midday, many filling stations in Dhaka had stopped dispensing octane and petrol altogether, with operators reporting little to no queues simply because stocks had been exhausted.
Distribution companies say they increased supply by roughly 15 per cent, but petrol pump owners argue the increase has fallen short of demand.
They pointed to a recent surge in consumer buying—driven by fear of shortages following the outbreak of war in the Middle East on 28 February—as the main reason for the shortfall.
Operators said the situation reflects a widening gap between supply and demand, aggravated by panic buying and distribution disruptions. Many customers are filling full tanks instead of purchasing small quantities, further straining limited supplies.
Pablu Samdani Kazi Feroz, owner of the QG Samdani Filling Station in Banglabazar, told TIMES that octane stocks at his station ran out by midday.
“We did receive supply yesterday, but it was far below our demand. Recently, we are getting around 25 to 30 per cent less fuel than required. With depots closed today, the crisis has deepened further. We still have diesel, but petrol and octane are completely unavailable,” he said.
An official at Meghna Petroleum Limited acknowledged the supply strain but maintained that distribution had been adjusted to manage the holiday disruption.
Meghna Petroleum Managing Director Md Shahirul Hassan said depots, which previously remained closed on Fridays and Saturdays, are now being kept open on those days to ease pressure following the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation’s instruction on 12 March.
He noted there is no major issue with diesel supply at present but admitted that demand patterns have changed significantly.
“People are now buying more than usual—many are filling their tanks fully instead of taking smaller amounts,” he said, adding that supply had been increased by 15 per cent on Wednesday ahead of the holiday.
Despite these adjustments, pump owners said the increase has not matched the spike in demand.
Many reported receiving 25 to 30 per cent less fuel than required, with some stations facing even steeper shortfalls. Delays in lifting fuel from depots due to long queues have also slowed distribution to retail outlets.
Leaders of the Chattogram Divisional Petrol Pump Owners Association said diesel availability on Wednesday slightly improved compared to earlier in the week. However, pumps are still receiving 20 to 25 per cent less diesel than required.
Md Abu Tayyab Patwari, the association’s convener, said while diesel supply has improved marginally, petrol and octane shortages remain severe, meeting only about half of the demand.
More of the peripheral fuel pumps ran dry in the second half of Thursday, making people’s refuelling struggles worse.
He urged the government to disclose actual data on fuel stock and distribution, saying greater transparency would help ease tensions between pump owners and customers.
