Long, exhausting wait for fuel under the blazing sun has turned increasingly distressing for motorists, with tensions flaring at petrol stations over priority access for “emergency services”.
Scenes of confrontation were reported on Thursday at the Meghna Model Service Centre and Filling Station, where frustrated customers clashed over queue arrangements.
Amid the ongoing crisis, the government has instructed filling stations to maintain separate lines for emergency service professionals. However, the move has sparked anger among the general public, with many questioning the fairness of such preferential treatment.
Some argue that providing fuel under the banner of “special privileges” is unacceptable in a time of widespread shortage.
A journalist who went to the Meghna Model Service Centre and Filling Station to refuel said he faced hostility when attempting to join the designated queue for emergency service workers.
Other motorcyclists became aggressive towards him, he said, adding that he might have been physically assaulted had police officers on duty not intervened. With the assistance of fellow journalists present at the scene, he was eventually able to obtain fuel.
Although the government has not formally acknowledged any supply shortage, queues at petrol stations across the country continue to grow longer by the day.
In Old Dhaka’s Banglabazar, lines of motorcycles and cars were seen stretching beyond one and a half kilometres on Thursday afternoon, the last working day of the week.
Police deployment has been observed at several filling stations in an effort to maintain order as the situation becomes increasingly strained.
Further confusion has arisen following the introduction of a fuel pass system. Many users say they do not fully understand how the system works, leading to additional delays and wasted time.
Under the new arrangement, those using fuel passes are allowed to purchase fuel worth up to Tk 1,000 at a time. However, even pass holders are required to stand in queues for hours.
Since 10 April, selected filling stations in Dhaka have begun distributing fuel through a mobile app-based system for fuel pass users. The system allows customers to scan a QR code and receive fuel according to a predetermined allocation.
Initially launched at filling stations in Tejgaon and Asad Gate, the system has since been expanded to seven stations across the capital.
Despite this, possession of a fuel pass does not guarantee access to fuel. There have been instances where pass holders waited for hours without success and were forced to rejoin queues in another attempt to refuel.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet has discussed the severe fuel oil crisis currently gripping the capital and the rest of the country, but has reached no immediate decision to resolve the situation.
Despite long queues of vehicles at petrol pumps, the Cabinet meeting – presided over by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat on Thursday – concluded without a finalised plan for a solution.
Briefing reporters after the session, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani confirmed that while the issue of the fuel shortage and the resulting traffic congestion near pumps was raised, no specific measures were approved to address the crisis immediately.
He noted, however, that several government initiatives are ongoing, including the recovery of illegally stockpiled fuel and the importation of oil from abroad to stabilise the supply.
