Long queues continued to plague petrol pumps across the capital on Wednesday as panic buying and concerns over potential fuel shortages persisted amid the escalating military conflict between the United States-Israel duo and Iran.
Drivers across the city said they had to wait for hours to collect small amounts of fuel, forcing many to reduce vehicle use and affecting ride-sharing and delivery services.
Meanwhile, petrol pump owners warned that they might shut down their operations nationwide if the government fails to ensure security and stabilise fuel supplies.
The warning came at an emergency press conference in the capital where leaders of the Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners' Association described growing unrest at filling stations following the introduction of rationing measures.
Association president Mohammad Nazmul Haque alleged that the government's contradictory stance -- claiming adequate reserves while restricting supply -- has fuelled panic among consumers. "People are rushing to pumps, filling their tanks to the brim, and creating long queues and disorder. This dual messaging has triggered confusion and fear," he told reporters.
Pump owners also reported incidents of violence linked to the fuel rush. According to the association, a worker at a filling station in Sunamganj was stabbed during an altercation as tensions rose over reduced fuel availability.
The association claimed that although the government had officially instructed a 10 per cent cut in fuel distribution compared to 2025 levels, the actual reduction at many stations appeared to be higher.
At the same time, they said, the number of vehicles and overall fuel demand had surged by nearly 30 per cent in recent months, putting additional pressure on the distribution system.
The pump owners' body also criticised newly introduced rules requiring ride-share motorcycles to present documents before receiving limited amounts of fuel, warning that such measures could create further chaos at already crowded filling stations.
Despite government assurances, long queues were visible at many filling stations in the capital on Wednesday.
At several pumps where fuel was still available, long lines of motorcycles, private cars and other vehicles stretched from one to one-and-a-half kilometres.
Some motorists said they had been standing in line for more than one and a half to two hours just to buy a small amount of fuel.
The fear of a possible supply crunch is largely rooted in the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict and concerns about potential disruptions to global oil supplies.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has taken steps to ease supply pressure by increasing fuel deliveries to petrol pumps in divisional cities.
Officials said the earlier 25 per cent reduction in fuel supply had been eased to a 15 per cent cut to help manage the surge in demand.
BPC has also instructed that fuel be distributed according to a specific allocation chart to ensure fair supply among filling stations during the current period of high demand.
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