Photo: BSS

By Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo

DHAKA, April 16, 2026 (BSS) – Fuel pump operators and experts today alleged intensified pressures of motor bikers for extra fuels exposed them to cause panic rush in filling stations amid the global oil crisis with obstruction of the major supply route through the Strait of Hormuz.

Several pump owners said the bikers, mostly who runs motorbikes for ride sharing, queue up in long lines everyday demanding fuels beyond their actual requirements aggravating the situation.

“They (bikers) largely cause the panic rush . . . some of them are assumed to be hoarding fuels emptying their fuel tanks and coming back to filling stations for more oil,”  fuel dispatch employee of Ramna Petrol Pump & Service Station Sultan Miah told BSS.

He said at times they even come to collect fuels in small containers and bottles as well, while a biker at the scene, however, said they need the fuel since ride sharing was the means of their livelihood.

“If our fuel tanks are emptied our income will come to a sudden halt,” the biker said preferring anonymity.

But another staff at City Filling Station alleged that some individuals were collecting fuel at government-set rates only to resell it in the open market for higher profit.

A senior journalist alleged a section of drivers working in some public and private offices too were engaged in stealing fuel for their own profit and reselling stolen fuel at Tejgaon area.

Fuel pump operators said queues continued to be longer everyday despite regular supplies of adequate volume of fuels -- petrol, octane and diesel by the government.

Visiting different petrol pumps in the capital a BSS correspondent found filling station staffs were getting little time even to stress their hands in view of the unusual consumer rush.

The correspondent reported he saw at two stations some riders were demanding extra fuels asking filling station staff to ignore the limit of the fuel pass, introduced for bikers recently on pilot basis in two fuel stations for consumption monitoring through QR codes.

The state-run Meghna Petroleum Ltd said they supplied 4793 tonnes of diesel, 532 tonnes of petrol and  477 tonnes of octane alone today (Thursday) while the volume of the supplies were higher throughout the country.

The Meghna and two other state-owned entities – Padma and Jamuna -- are entrusted with the task of supplying petroleum across Bangladesh and officials concerned said 116 tag officers were engaged to oversee supply systems from the three companies to the filling stations.

The Energy Ministry, meanwhile, reassured all that despite the Middle Eastern crisis Bangladesh still had fuel stocks for next two months while vessels carrying petroleum were making their way to Bangladesh.

Energy Division spokesman and joint secretary Monir Hossain Chowdhury earlier said the next shipment was expected arrive by April 20 while a crude oil vessel already departed from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port and was expected to reach Bangladesh in late April or early May.

An energy ministry official the government initiated an intensified campaign against fuel hoarders to stabilize distribution system across the country conducting mobile courts by now recovered 5,42,236 litres of petroleum products in the past 43 days.

Law enforcement agencies have also intensified surveillance at filling stations to curb hoarding and prevent the creation of an artificial crisis.

The ministry shared the current fuel stock statistics which showed existing diesel reserve was 113,085 metric tonnes, octane 31,821 metric tonnes, petrol 18,021 metric tonnes and furnace oil 77,546 metric tonnes and debarred petroleum sales in drums.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) officials said two ships carrying a total of 66,000 tonnes of diesel arrived on Wednesday at the outer anchorage of Chattogram Port.

They said vessel 'MT Torm Damini' carried 32,000 tonnes of diesel and 'MT Lucia Solis' came with 34,000 tonnes of diesel and now awaited unloading the fuel while the two cargos were supplied by Unipac Singapore pte ltd and Vittal Asia, based in Singapore.