Published : 30 Mar 2026, 12:39 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:32 PM
A severe diesel shortage across six Upazilas in Shariatpur has paralysed the district’s rural economy, leaving thousands of farmers and fishermen in a state of desperation as irrigation pumps fall silent and fishing boats remain docked.
The crisis hit during the peak of the IRRI-Boro season, threatening production targets across 25,000 hectares of paddy fields.
Operations of 12,000 engine-powered fishing boats, on the other hand, that patrol the Padma and Meghna rivers have been affected due to the shortage of fuel.
The scarcity reached a boiling point on Saturday when frustrated farmers besieged the Hazi Abdul Jalil Filling Station in Shariatpur town.
Local administration officials had to intervene to calm the situation, eventually rationing small amounts of diesel to the protesters.
“I have been waiting for days and even travelled to the district town, but there is no oil,” said Amir Hossain, a farmer from Gosairhat.
“Our Boro crops are at stake. Without irrigation, the soil is cracking.”
Nafiz Elahi, assistant commissioner (Land) of Shariatpur Sadar, confirmed the aggrieved farmers received 5 litres of diesel each following the protest.
The district’s fishing industry, which supports 33,000 fishermen, is also on the verge of collapse.
The 71km stretch of river from Zajira to Gosairhat requires an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 litres of diesel each day to operate mechanised boats.
"My boat has been sitting idle for seven days. I have never faced such a situation in my life," said Mizanur Rahman, a fisherman.
Others reported that while some fuel is available in riverside markets, it is being sold at exorbitant rates, as high as Tk 170 per litre, making fishing financially unviable.
Local traders who source oil from the Meghna Petroleum Depot in Chandpur claim the supply chain has dried up.
Solaiman Hossain, a businessman at Sureswar Bazar, said he can no longer meet the daily demand of 4,000 litres because the depot is not releasing enough stock.
Mostafa Kamal Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, warned that failing to meet irrigation needs now could cause the district to miss its production targets for the season.
