Fuel oil crisis hits 5 N districts as Rangpur depots run dry

A petrol filling station in operation. UNB

A prolonged shortage of fuel has hit filling stations across five northern districts, with depots in Rangpur running nearly empty due to disrupted rail supplies from Chattogram.

Officials at the Padma, Meghna and Jamuna depots said the crisis has dragged on for about five months, severely straining the supply chain. 

Against a monthly demand of roughly 2.5 crore litres for the region, only about 30 lakh litres were delivered in August.

Fuel from the Rangpur depots normally serves Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Nilphamari. 

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) sources and depot officials blamed the railway’s shortage of locomotives for the persistent disruption.

Md Azizur Islam Mintu, president of the Rangpur District Petroleum Dealers Association, warned, “For the past five months supply has been far below demand. If this continues, it will cause a serious impact on agriculture, industries and transport in the region.”

With deliveries by train stalled, operators are sourcing fuel from distant hubs. 

Mizanur Rahman, owner of Mizan Filling Station at Rangpur’s Charitala Mor, said, “As fuel is not arriving by train we are trying to bring it from Chattogram and Parbatipur at higher costs. If we got supply from Rangpur depot the expense would be much lower.”

Another dealer, Manzur Azad, said they have been forced to collect supplies from Parbatipur and Baghabari. 

“It doubles transport costs and takes two to three days due to long queues, affecting not only businesses but also agriculture and transport sectors,” he said.

The squeeze has also sidelined hundreds of workers. 

“More than 600 workers have become jobless due to the crisis. Despite several letters to the authorities nothing has changed. If regular supplies don’t resume soon, we will be forced to protest,” said Alaul Mia Lallu, general secretary of the Rangpur Tank-Lorry Workers’ Union.

Dealers’ associations have written to the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser and the Divisional Commissioner, but there has been no solution yet.

Jakir Hossain Patwari, in charge of Meghna Petroleum Depot, said, “There is no shortage of fuel in Chattogram. The problem is the lack of wagons to carry it. Against our monthly demand of 25 lakh crore litres, we are receiving only 5 lakh litres.”

Aminur Rahman, in charge of Padma Petroleum Depot, explained, “Earlier, two engines used to carry fuel to Rangpur, allowing 8 to 10 trips a month. Now with only one engine that has reduced to 4 to 5 trips. Even that engine has been reassigned elsewhere, leaving the depots almost empty.”

Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Rabiul Faisal acknowledged the disruption, “Fuel supply has been disrupted due to the railway engine shortage. We expect the situation to improve within a week.” - UNB