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Published : 06 Mar 2026, 05:10 PM
A severe fuel shortage has gripped the Rajshahi Division, leaving commuters, particularly motorcyclists, in significant distress as filling stations struggle to meet demand.
Since Friday morning, long queues of motorbikes were seen snaking out of several filling stations in Rajshahi city.
Many riders were forced to hop from one pump to another, only to find several stations temporarily closed after exhausting their stock.
The crisis became apparent on Thursday when most stations began rationing fuel.
Many motorcyclists reported being refused full tanks, with attendants limiting sales to between Tk 200 and Tk 500 per vehicle.
Bakhtiar Shahriar, a resident of the city’s Vatapara area, shared his ordeal: "I visited three different stations on Thursday night just to get Tk 1,000 worth of petrol. One gave me Tk 500 worth, and another only Tk 300."
At the Noyon Filling Station near RUET on Friday, Sabuj Ahmed, another motorcyclist, expressed his frustration.
"I need my bike every day for work. I’ve been roaming from pump to pump just to keep the tank from emptying out," he said.
According to the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents, and Petrol Pump Owners Association, there are 279 filling stations across the eight districts of the Rajshahi Division.
The supply began dwindling three days ago.
Abdul Jalil, general secretary of the association’s Rajshahi divisional unit, attributed the shortage to geopolitical tensions.
"The ongoing conflict involving Iran in the Middle East has disrupted the fuel supply chain," he explained.
He also noted that "panic buying" has exacerbated the situation.
"People are rushing to pumps out of fear. Even those who don't ride regularly are trying to stockpile fuel. Some are visiting multiple pumps to fill their tanks and store extra at home, making the crisis more visible," Jalil added.
While some stations continue to operate with limited stock, the association could not provide a specific timeline for when the supply chain would stabilise.
For now, commuters in the northern region remain in limbo as they wait for tankers to arrive.
