CNG driver Abdul Alim arrived at a filling station in Mohakhali at 6:30am to refuel. After waiting for around two and a half hours, he received just Tk42 worth of gas. With that, he made his first trip of the day, carrying a passenger to Banasree for Tk300.
After dropping off the passenger, Alim waited at the CNG stand on FG Avenue for his next fare, where he spoke about the ordeal.
“What am I supposed to do with Tk42 worth of gas after waiting for two and a half hours?” Alim said. “I’ve completed one trip and may be able to make one more. Then I’ll have to find a filling station and queue up for gas again. After waiting for hours, I may get another Tk50 or Tk60 worth of gas. Maybe I’ll be able to make two more trips. At this rate, the whole day will be over.”
The daily rental for his CNG is Tk1,200.
“I won’t even be able to cover the rental. What will I eat? What will my family eat?” he said.
Alim is not alone. CNG drivers across the capital are facing the same situation, spending most of the day waiting for gas and struggling to earn enough to cover their daily rentals.
Private car driver Yunus said he too was waiting for hours to get only Tk100-Tk120 worth of gas.
“My 1,500cc car can take gas worth Tk600. How far can I go with Tk120 worth of gas?” he said.
Yunus said he operates a rent-a-car under a monthly contract of Tk30,000.
“How am I supposed to operate with Tk120 worth of gas? Most of my fares are outside Dhaka. And how far can I travel outside Dhaka with Tk120 worth of gas?” he said.
“I can’t even cross Kanchpur amid this gas crisis. So how will I pay the contract amount and run my household?” he added.
Visiting several sites has shown that the crisis has shown no sign of improvement. Since Tuesday morning, severe shortages have been reported at CNG filling stations as well as in households across the capital.
The acute gas shortage has caused widespread distress in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country. CNG-powered transport operators are among the worst affected, with drivers spending much of their working day waiting in queues at filling stations. Even after waiting for hours, the amount of gas they receive is often insufficient for more than one or two trips.
Several CNG stations have also been forced to shut down because of low gas pressure.
Mirpur
Long queues of vehicles were seen at CNG stations in Gabtoli, Kallyanpur, Kalshi, Kazipara and Shewrapara. With gas supplies reduced, private cars, microbuses and auto-rickshaws were forced to wait for long periods to refuel.
Demra
The situation was similar in Demra, where transport workers had to wait more than two to three hours for gas at CNG filling stations. Long lines of vehicles formed outside the stations.
Unable to take passengers regularly, many drivers are struggling to earn a living and support their families. Meanwhile, filling station owners are also incurring losses as gas sales decline.
Mohammad Bashir Howlader, a rent-a-car driver at Russell Filling and CNG Station, said, “We are suffering losses every day because we are not getting enough gas. We cannot take long-distance passengers. It is no longer possible to take passengers and then stop to refuel because we have to remain in line for hours. If this continues, our entire families will have to starve.”
Sabujbagh
The gas shortage was more severe than usual in Mugda, Maniknagar, Sabujbagh, Khilgaon, Banasree and Hajipara, where gas pressure was reportedly at its lowest.
The shortage caused severe difficulties for CNG-powered vehicle drivers, while several filling stations were seen displaying signs saying they had no gas.
Uttara
The gas crisis was particularly severe in Uttara. Most CNG filling stations had suspended supplies due to a lack of gas. At stations that remained operational, long queues of vehicles formed because of low gas pressure.
Kamal Ahmed, manager of Khandakar Filling Station, said: “A large portion of the transport sector depends on gas. So when gas pressure is low, long queues of vehicles form. There is nothing we can do to solve these problems.”