Continuous countrywide blockades by the BNP-led opposition have severely disrupted the supply of fuel oil, especially diesel, petrol and octane, causing immense loss to filling stations.
“Transportation of fuel oil through trucks and tankers has remained suspended for the past few days because of the blockades. Owners do not operate their vehicles for fear of attacks,” Mohammad Nazmul Haque, president of Petrol Pump and Tank-Lorry Owners Association, said yesterday.
He said around 10,000 tonnes of diesel, petrol and octane were sold across the country every day, but as they could not sell during this period, they had incurred crores of taka in losses.
There were some 9,000 filling stations in the country and most of them had been kept shut because of the blockade, he said, adding that the demand for fuel oil was also lower than usual. Only 10 filling stations in the capital and its surrounding had been operating now.
The country’s lone oil importer and distributor, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, used to sell oil to refuelling stations through Padma, Megna and Jamuna Oil companies.
BPC Chairman Md Eunusur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune: “As we subsidise oil sales, we will not lose from the low sales of oil.”
According to the BPC, 44% petroleum products are consumed in the communication sector, 22.47% in power generation, 20.95% in agriculture, 4.43% by industries and 8.15% in households and others.
Most filling stations have, meanwhile, exhausted their stocks.
“We are not getting oil in most petrol pumps in the capital – most of them are closed while others have almost run out of their stocks, providing only a few litres of diesel against our huge demands,” said bus driver Mohammad Kamal of Gabtoli-Jatrabari route.
A worker of Ramna petrol pump at Segunbagicha said they had kept the pump shut in fear of violence.
Din Mohammad, manager of Old Dhaka Petrol Pump near Bahadur Shah Park area, said they had run out of octane stock on Tuesday and only had petrol now.
