“There’s no oil in my motorcycle. Now I have to leave my motorcycle at the pump and try and reach my destination on something else,” one motorcyclist says
Published : 05 Feb 2025, 02:21 PM
The sale of fuel oil at all petrol pumps in northern Bangladesh has been suspended indefinitely without prior notice against an eviction drive by the Roads and Highways Department's eviction drive.
All petrol pumps in the Dinajpur District have been closed since Wednesday morning, leading to extreme difficulties for vehicle drivers. They have been unable to find fuel oil for a long time, despite going from pump to pump.
Shaheen, secretary of the Dinajpur Fuel Oil Distributor Owners Group, said: "There are 110 petrol pumps in the 13 Upazilas of the district. No pump has sold oil since the morning. All of them are closed."
The Rajshahi Divisional Petrol Pump Owners and Workers' Unity Council had called for the programme on Tuesday night.
Motorcycle drivers are facing the most difficulties due to the pump closures. Many of them only heard about the strike after going to a pump. With their motorcycles empty of fuel, they are facing major difficulties reaching their workplaces and other destinations.
Ekramul, a college student and motorcycle driver waiting at the Sumon Filling Station at Dinajpur’s Terminal Road, said: “I came to fill up and now I hear that they are closed. I don’t have any oil in my motorcycle. I’m stuck wondering what to do.”
Trader Abul Kashem was waiting at the Dinajpur Petroleum Pump in the district town. He had been headed to his ancestral home on urgent business. His motorcycle ran out of fuel on Terminal Road. When he reached the fuel pump, they informed him it was closed.
“There’s no oil in my motorcycle. Now I have to leave my motorcycle at the pump and try and reach my destination on something else,” Kashem said.
Similar situations were playing out at different petrol pumps across the district on Wednesday.
Lavlu, the owner of Dinajpur Petroleum Pump, said: “As our organisation called the strike, they will resolve it. I have heard that there will be discussions with representatives from the government around noon today.”