Fuel crisis: 1,011 vehicles wait in queue for fuel at a single filling station in Dhaka

A total of 1,011 vehicles—including 518 motorcycles and 493 cars—were waiting for fuel at a filling station in Paribagh in the capital as of 11:00 am on Friday.

A similarly large number of vehicles were waiting at another filling station at Matsya Bhaban, where 422 motorcycles and 358 private cars were in line for fuel as of 10:00 am.

The sheer number of vehicles shows how long the queues are and how many hours each person has to wait.

Akhtar Hossain, a car driver who was waiting for fuel at the Meghna Model Filling Station in Paribagh, said, “If we don’t get fuel, we won’t have our jobs. No matter how difficult it is, we have to get fuel. After that, we still have to go back to duty.”

He said he had joined the queue for fuel at around 10:00 pm on Thursday. Even by 11:00 am on Friday, he had not received fuel. When he spoke to Prothom Alo, three more cars were ahead of him in the line.

Similarly, motorcyclist Saiful Islam was also waiting for fuel. He spoke at the Ramna filling station at Matsya Bhaban around 10:30 am today.

He said he had joined the line at around 9:30 pm the previous night. By 10:30 am, he still had not received fuel. The filling station authorities told him he might get fuel after noon.

“I have a job. Friday is supposed to be a holiday to rest and spend time with family, but since this fuel crisis started, I haven’t been able to do anything. The entire night on Thursday and the whole day on Friday go by just trying to get fuel. I don’t know when we will be free from this suffering,” he lamented.

Saiful Islam alleged that while the government says there is no fuel shortage, the reality at filling stations is different.

Another driver, Abdur Rahim, is also waiting a long time at the same filling station. He told Prothom Alo that he had joined the line at 9:00 pm the previous night. Even after 11:00 am, he had not received fuel and did not know when he would.

Abdur Rahim alleged that the government and ministers claim there is no fuel shortage and that more fuel is coming, but the reality at the pumps is different.

Drivers said that instead of decreasing, queues for fuel at filling stations are actually increasing.