Amid growing concerns over potential fuel shortages and price hikes linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, drivers of private cars and motorcyclists in the capital have been crowding filling stations over the past several days in an effort to secure fuel.
Many residents across Dhaka reported significant inconvenience after failing to obtain fuel despite visiting multiple filling stations. The situation, which began on Thursday and continued through Friday, persisted on Saturday as several pumps reportedly ran out of fuel.
Petrol pump owners said the crisis was exacerbated by the government’s decision not to supply fuel to stations on Saturday due to what officials described as a “special situation.”
Saleh Akter, an employee at a private company in Banani, said he had already spent hours waiting in line the previous day without success.
“Yesterday I stood in line for several hours but couldn’t get any fuel. So today I left early in the morning hoping to get some before the rush increased. But even by 11 a.m., after visiting several pumps, I still couldn’t find any fuel,” he said.
“Everyone says the stations ran out of fuel because people bought unusually large amounts over the past two days.”
He added that although the government claims there are adequate fuel reserves, the situation at filling stations suggests otherwise.
Saleh’s experience reflects the broader situation across the capital, where many car users reported visiting multiple stations without success, while others waited in queues from morning until afternoon only to return empty-handed.
On-the-spot observations showed that several filling stations had suspended services due to a lack of fuel. At others, long queues of vehicles extended beyond station premises and onto nearby roads.
Near the National Parliament area, a queue outside Khaleq Pump stretched from the vicinity of the July Museum to the corner of the lake near Zia’s mausoleum. At another station near Asad Gate, the line reportedly extended as far as Preparatory School. Meanwhile, at Meghna Pump in Shahbagh, the queue reached up to PG Hospital.
In several areas, the queues were estimated to be nearly a mile long, with separate lines formed for cars and motorcycles.
Fuel pump operators said fuel sales over the past two days had been significantly higher than usual due to rumors and growing public concern, causing many filling stations to quickly exhaust their reserves.
Nazmul Haque, president of the Bangladesh Petroleum Pump Owners’ Association, said many people, driven by panic, purchased more fuel than they actually needed, resulting in shortages at several pumps.
He explained that fuel tankers do not normally operate on Fridays and Saturdays because they are government holidays, meaning filling stations typically do not receive fuel supplies during this period.
The restriction, however, is usually relaxed in March, April and May to support irrigation needs. According to him, the rule was not relaxed this time despite the ongoing crisis, creating difficulties for pump owners.
Haque, who also owns the Ramna Petrol Pump, said many customers have assumed that pump owners are deliberately withholding fuel.
“In reality, our fuel stock ran out at 2:39pm on Saturday,” he said.
“Customers became angry. Later, law enforcement personnel came and inspected the station and confirmed that we had no fuel left. We had been warning since morning that the pump would run out of fuel and requested arrangements for supply, but the government has not taken any steps so far.”
Attempts were made to contact the Energy Secretary and the chairman of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) for comments, but neither could be reached.
Meanwhile, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood visited several petrol pumps in the capital on Friday afternoon to observe the situation.
Following the visit, the minister said the country has sufficient fuel reserves and the supply remains normal. He urged the public not to panic or pay attention to rumors and advised people not to stockpile more fuel than necessary.
On the same day, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) said the country’s fuel reserves and supply remain stable. The corporation urged the public not to engage in panic buying or purchase fuel in excessive quantities based on rumors or negative propaganda related to the situation in the Middle East.
According to BPC directives, specific limits have been set on fuel sales at filling stations to ensure smooth supply and prevent hoarding.
Under the guidelines, motorcycles will be allowed to purchase a maximum of two liters of octane or petrol, while private cars may buy up to 10 liters per visit.
For SUVs and microbuses, the permitted amount has been set between 20 and 25 liters per trip. Minibuses and local buses will be able to purchase 70 to 80 liters, while long-distance buses, trucks and covered vans may receive between 100 and 120 liters of diesel per transaction.
The measures aim to maintain balanced fuel distribution and prevent unnecessary stockpiling.