Thousands of motorists remained stranded in gruelling queues across the capital even on Friday as the fuel supply situation turned worse.
The supply-demand gap widened as tankers struggled to reach pumps from central depots, leaving commuters facing three-to-five-hour waits.
With international energy markets on edge over potential disruptions, the local impact has manifested in a significant fuel crunch, threatening to disrupt productivity as the new work week approaches.
Many said they had been waiting for three to four hours, even as the oil tanker was still being loaded at the Narayanganj depot.
Milon, a car owner and driver, said he had already spent about one hour in the queue without certainty about supply at Ideal Filling Station in the capital's Tejgaon industrial area.
"We have been told the tanker is coming, but it is still at the depot. We are waiting without clear information. If the oil does not come today, managing daily work will become difficult," he said.
Nur Alam, another car owner at the same station, described the situation as exhausting.
"I have been here for about one hour. We heard the oil tanker is being loaded in Narayanganj, but that could take more time. We cannot stay on the road the whole day like this," he added.
Khalil, an employee of Ideal Filling Station, told The Financial Express around 4:15pm that a tanker carrying 4,500 litres of fuel was expected.
"It may take another two to three hours for the fuel to reach here. After arrival, unloading and distribution will also require time," he said, noting that supply was limited compared to regular demand.
Long queues were also seen at Satata Company and Filling Station, City Filling Station, and Southern Automobile Limited, suggesting that the strain was widespread.
The worsening situation comes amid geopolitical instability in the Middle East and rising tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, triggering fears of global energy supply disruptions.
The impact is already being felt in Bangladesh, where reduced supply created a severe crisis at petrol pumps across the capital even on a public holiday.
In the morning, similar scenes were observed at Shahbagh, Tejgaon, and Asadgate.
At Meghna Model Service Centre in Shahbagh, motorcyclist Naim said he had been waiting since 8:00am for fuel.
"It has been three hours, and I still have not received any fuel. I depend on my bike to commute. If I do not get fuel today, I cannot go to work tomorrow," he said.
Motorists across the city voiced frustration, saying prolonged uncertainty and irregular distribution were disrupting daily life and calling for urgent measures to normalise the situation.
Meanwhile, Chattogram district administration on Friday conducted a special anti-hoarding drive in the district's Patenga area, recovering around 6,000 litres of illegally stored diesel amid ongoing concerns over fuel supply disruptions.
The operation, carried out based on intelligence inputs, signals a tougher stance against illegal fuel trading and syndicate activities.
Based on reliable intelligence information, a special drive was conducted at 10:45am at the Commissioner Ghat in Patenga.
The operation was led by Executive Magistrate of the district administration Subrata Halder.
Members of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) and Bangladesh Police jointly participated in the operation.
No accused persons were found at the scene during the drive.
Regular drives against such illegal activities will continue.
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