No let-up in long queues at petrol pumps despite supply assurances

Bangla Press Desk:  Long queues persisted at petrol pumps across the capital on Saturday as motorists rushed to stock up on fuel, defying repeated government assurances that supplies remain adequate.

Motorcyclists and car drivers were seen waiting for more than two hours under intense heat to reach fuel nozzles, with congestion reported at key locations, including Tejgaon, Bijoy Sarani and Paribagh from early morning.

At Meghna Filling Station in Paribagh, queues of motorcycles and private cars stretched onto the main road by 8:00am, with many customers enduring in sweltering conditions.

The rush comes amid heightened global tensions over Iran war, which has triggered fears of a potential supply disruption.

However, officials say that the current chaos is being driven largely by 'panic buying' rather than any actual shortage.

They emphasised that as most of the petrol and octane are produced domestically, there is no reasons for consumers to be worried about supply crunch.

"I don't necessarily need a full tank today," said one private car owner waiting in line. "But given the situation in the Middle East, it feels safer to fill up now than risk shortages later."

This sentiment is exactly what is driving the current congestion, according to officials.

Mobarak Hossain Shuvo, Chief Assistant at Meghna Petroleum, said the pressure on filling stations is largely artificial.

He estimated that over 50 per cent of the customers are purchasing fuel out of fear rather than immediate necessity.

Adding to the irony, officials pointed out that the longest queues are for petrol and octane-the fuels Bangladesh is most self-reliant on.

During an inspection at the Paribagh station, Executive Magistrate Milton Roy of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division noted a stark contrast between fuel types.

While queues for petrol and octane stretch for hundreds of metres, diesel lines remain relatively manageable, he said, despite diesel being more heavily import-dependent.

"There is no reason for this level of anxiety," Roy added. "Nearly all of our petrol and around 80 per cent of our octane are produced locally. We are not dependent on global shipping routes for these fuels."