Fuel supply to normalise by tomorrow, say filling station owners

Petrol pump owners expect the supply of fuel oils to normalise by tomorrow afternoon (16 March).

Nazmul Hoque, president of the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents and Petrol Pump Owners Association, said fuel oils have already reached many filling stations and the situation should stabilise by tomorrow.

"I expect there will be no shortage of fuel oils by tomorrow evening," Nazmul told The Business Standard over the phone after a meeting with State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit today (15 March).

For the past several days, consumers struggled to obtain enough fuel to run their vehicles. At one stage, the government introduced a rationing system, yet many vehicle users continued to face difficulties.

With Eid al-Fitr approaching and people rushing to travel home, the government withdrew the fuel rationing order for petrol, octane and diesel, following the arrival of several imported oil tankers at Chattogram Port.

The decision was announced by Amit during a press conference at the Secretariat this morning.

According to officials at the energy ministry, the move will allow filling stations to lift fuel from depots according to demand, ending the restrictions imposed on 6 March to manage supply volatility triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.