Fuel shortages continue to cause long waiting times at filling stations, although the situation has improved slightly compared to previous days. That time motorists were forced to wait an entire day to obtain fuel, the waiting times have now decreased to approximately one to three hours in many cases. Some customers have reported receiving fuel in even less time at certain stations.
Pump owners said current supplies remain insufficient to keep stations operational throughout the day. They added that if the government slightly increases fuel distribution, the long queues could disappear.
After visiting to several filling stations, it was revealed that queues remain relatively long at Trust, Meghna, and Sumatra pumps, where customers are still waiting one to two hours for fuel. However, at other stations, queues are shorter and waiting times are comparatively lower.
Sarfaraz Hossain purchased fuel on Saturday afternoon from the Nikunja Model Service Centre. He said, “I joined the queue at 5:00 pm and received fuel within 25 minutes.” However, some customers reported waiting up to 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, at the Masud Hasan Pump in Uttara, Naim Hossain said he was able to fill his tank using a fuel pass, adding that the queue there was relatively short. In contrast, at the SP Fuel Pump in Gabtoli, around 50 to 60 people were waiting in line at approximately 2:00 pm, with customers taking about an hour to receive fuel.
Overall, the situation at fuel stations across Dhaka appears to have improved somewhat, with reduced waiting times compared to previous days.
Commenting on the matter, Syed Sajjadul Karim Kabul, convener of the Petrol Pump Owners' Association, told Dhaka Tribune, “Although supply has slightly increased, the situation has not fully normalized. The queues for motorcycles may have shortened, but overall pressure remains. The octane shortage has been resolved, and conditions are expected to gradually return to normal.”
He further said, “Panic has not yet subsided. As a result, people are purchasing more fuel than usual. Those who previously bought fuel worth Tk 200 are now buying between Tk 1,200 and Tk 1,300. This is causing supplies to run out quickly. Although the shortage of octane has eased somewhat, demand for diesel has increased due to power outages. Many factories are operating generators, which require diesel. For these reasons, it is now necessary to increase diesel supply.”
Earlier on Thursday, during a parliamentary session, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood described the fuel shortage as an “artificial crisis.” Presenting stock data, he said, “There are sufficient reserves of diesel, octane, petrol, jet fuel, marine fuel, and furnace oil.”
The minister also claimed that, compared to 2025, the supply of diesel, petrol, and octane has increased significantly in 2026.
According to him, some unscrupulous individuals are creating disruption by standing in queues and later selling fuel in the informal market, leaving genuine consumers facing difficulties.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam told Parliament that octane and petrol account for only a small portion of the country’s total fuel consumption. He added that it would therefore be misleading to evaluate the overall fuel supply situation based solely on the long queues seen at filling stations.
He noted that the current situation has led to the emergence of an “informal market” taking advantage of supply gaps. The government, he emphasized, is not seeking to evade responsibility but is instead working toward solutions.
“We are holding discussions with energy experts, media professionals, and other stakeholders,” the state minister said, underscoring ongoing efforts to address the issue.