Fuel crisis leaves hundreds of bikers stranded in long queues in Satkhira
Filling station authorities said they are struggling to cope with an unprecedented spike in demand
A severe fuel crisis has gripped Satkhira, leaving thousands of motorcyclists stranded in queues for hours while most filling stations across the district remain shut due to a lack of supply.
Since early this morning (28 March), hundreds of motorcyclists have been lining up at the AB Khan Filling Station in Satkhira town, waiting for fuel to arrive from the Khulna depot.
Similar scenes were reported at the Kapatakkhsha Filling Station in Tala, where limited supplies were being distributed to a desperate crowd.
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Touhiduzzaman, a motorcyclist who had been waiting since dawn, expressed his frustration at 1:30pm saying, "I have been waiting for seven hours, and there is still no oil at the pump. Thousands of us are suffering, yet there seems to be no effective action from the administration to manage this chaos."
Filling station authorities said they are struggling to cope with an unprecedented spike in demand.
They noted that even when a fresh shipment arrives, it is exhausted almost immediately, raising questions about where the fuel is going.
"The demand has surged so much that we are overwhelmed," one pump official stated, adding that there is a significant shortage compared to the demand.
BGB remains alert
The growing tension led to violence last night (27 March) in the Chhayghoria area of Satkhira Sadar. Agitated locals blocked the Satkhira-Jahsore highway and set fires on the road after a petrol pump refused to dispense fuel.
The protest briefly halted traffic on the highway before police intervened to bring the situation under control.
While police presence has been increased at filling stations to prevent further isolated incidents, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has stepped up vigilance along the frontier to prevent fuel smuggling.
Milon, the media officer for Satkhira-33 BGB, said that in light of the Iran crisis and the resulting fuel volatility, BGB remains alert to ensure no oil is smuggled across the border.
He clarified that while BGB is monitoring pumps in and around the town, the force has not been formally deployed at the filling stations.
