Filling station owners seek 8pm-7am closure, adequate security amid fuel crisis
Its convener said fuel should be supplied from depots in line with tanker capacity; otherwise, transport costs would rise.
Filling stations should operate between 7am and 8pm and be provided with better security, the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents and Petrol Pump Owners Association said today (31 March).
On behalf of the association, its Convener Syed Sazzadul Karim Kabul put forward a set of demands aimed at managing the ongoing crisis linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran while speaking at a press conference at the association's office in Dhaka's Moghbazar.
The association called for ensuring adequate security at filling stations and a realistic, demand-based supply of fuel amid growing pressure at pumps nationwide, with long queues and heightened tensions reported in recent days.
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In the current situation, Kabul said, consumers should remain aware and exercise patience. They should refrain from crowding pumps to collect fuel when tanks run dry, he added.
The association called for limiting fuel sales hours at petrol pumps from 7am to 8pm, adding that security must be strengthened at all filling stations at upazila and district levels.
Its convener said fuel should be supplied from depots in line with tanker capacity; otherwise, transport costs would rise.
Government monitoring should be intensified, while unwarranted attacks on pumps and placing unilateral blame on pump owners must stop, Kabul said. In this regard, the association welcomed the government's appointment of tag officers.
Kabul said long lines of vehicles and fears of fuel shortages among the public were aggravating the situation and increasing the risk of an artificial shortage.
Mentioning that the authorities had assured everyone there was sufficient fuel stock in the country, he warned that panic buying could disrupt the supply chain.
He urged people not to hoard fuel or create disorder at pumps, saying such behaviour could endanger lives and deprive others of essential supplies.
The development comes as queues persist at pumps across the country, with some motorists waiting for hours to refuel amid the fuel crisis.
The broader situation has been unfolding for weeks during the war, which has impacted global energy flows and triggered panic buying.
The government maintains that there is adequate fuel stock and has urged the public not to engage in panic buying.
