Published : 11 Mar 2026, 05:25 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:27 PM
The petrol pump owners have urged the government to lift the rationing on petrol and octane, arguing that unrestricted supply is necessary to restore public confidence and end the chaos at filling stations.
The Bangladesh Petroleum Dealer’s, Distributor’s Agents and Petrol Pump Owners’ Association sent a formal letter to the chairman of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) on Tuesday, highlighting that the current restrictions are fuelling public anxiety rather than solving it.
Syed Sajjadul Karim Kabul, the association’s convenor, stated in the letter that opening up the supply of petrol and octane would immediately reduce the overwhelming pressure from motorcycles and private cars.
Long queues have choked filling stations across Dhaka and other major cities since the escalation of the Middle East conflict sparked fears of a fuel shortage.
In response, the BPC has introduced strict daily limits.
Pump owners argue that since petrol and octane are largely refined within Bangladesh, there is no genuine shortage of these two fuels.
The crisis, they say, is a result of "panic buying" by drivers attempting to fill their tanks beyond their actual needs.
"Lifting the rationing on petrol and octane could solve nearly 80 percent of the current problems at the pumps," the association claimed in the letter.
While the government on Tuesday slightly relaxed the fuel limit for ride-sharing motorcycles to 5 litres, the limits for other vehicles remain at 20–25 litres for SUVs and microbuses, 70–80 litres of diesel for pickups and local buses, and 200–220 litres of diesel for long-route trucks and containers.
The association warned that as long as the rationing remains in effect, the sense of crisis will persist.
They called on authorities to normalise the supply from depots to filling stations to stabilise the market.
