Fuel pumps in Dhaka go dry a day after price cut

On Sunday morning, Md Azad went to several fuel pumps in Dhaka. He could not find fuel anywhere. Eventually, his bike stalled in the middle of the road and he had to push the vehicle all the way from Banani to Mohakhali's Amtali in search of fuel.
Azad said: "I have been travelling in search of fuel since the morning. After I ran out of fuel, I was forced to push my bike all the way to this pump. I didn't think I would be in this mess. There is no fuel anywhere."
Shamim Ahmed works as a driver for a ride-sharing app. According to Shamim, he visited five petrol pumps, but couldn't find fuel, reports bdnews24.com.
"I have been looking for fuel for a few hours now. I am now running on reserves. I am afraid it [bike] will stall at any moment," he said.
On Sunday morning, many others faced a similar predicament.
They complain that fuel pump owners put off buying fuel when they heard about the price cut. This meant that it took until the afternoon for fuel to become available at the new price.
However, some pump authorities said they ran out of fuel as the supply was paused over the weekend.
The interim government has adjusted the fuel prices for September in line with the international market. As such, petrol and octane prices were reduced by Tk 6 per litre and the cost of kerosene and diesel was reduced by Tk 1.25.
Crescent Automobiles Limited, a petrol pump located in Mohakhali, was selling octane until 10am on Sunday. However, as the pump stopped selling octane at 10am, several riders faced difficulties as they couldn't get a refill until 2pm.
Ahmed Sharif, who was unable to get a refill, told bdnews24.com: "I tried to get fuel from several pumps in Mohakhali around 12pm. But none of the pumps had fuel. I am heading to Uttara while running on reserves. I'm worried about my bike stopping in the middle of the road. This is a serious issue."
When asked about the reason for the fuel shortage, Crescent Automobiles Limited Petrol Pump Manager Md Abdul Ahad, said: "We had fuel until 10am this morning. After we ran out of fuel, we were unable to refuel all the cars of the Square Group which are on a regular contract. The fuel truck came from the Narayanganj depot after 1pm. We started refuelling immediately after unloading it."
The price of octane was previously Tk 131 per litre. Now, it is being sold at Tk 125 after the Tk 6 price cut. Petrol price was also being sold at Tk 121 after the price reduction.
Diesel and Kerosene were being sold at Tk 106.75 per litre at the retail level previously. Now, diesel is being sold at Tk 105.50. The new prices have been effective since Sunday.
Shahidul Islam, the cashier at the pump, said: "Many of the pumps have run out of fuel. The fuel supply is closed on Fridays and Saturdays. Hence, it takes time until noon for the fuel car to arrive from the depot. In some places, it arrives later in the evening. Hence, those pumps are out of fuel."
Fuel supply was halted at Mohakhali's Gulshan Service Station petrol pump from the morning until 12:30pm. Monir Hossain, an employee of the pump told bdnews24.com: "Basically, the pumps did not buy oil the day before as the prices dropped. From today, the price per litre of fuel has been reduced by Tk 6. Will anyone knowingly buy oil for more money and sell it for less?"
According to Nazmul Haque, the president of Bangladesh Petrol Pump Dealers Distributors Agents and Petrol Pump Owners Association, this happens the day after the price of fuel increases or decreases.
"Whenever the price of fuel goes up or down, the supply is delayed from the depot the next day. The pumps cannot open without an audit. It is opened after the stock is checked. This is the normal process. There's no cause for concern. There is enough fuel in the reserves."
The president of the association said that after Friday and Saturday, there is no fuel in the pump in many places on Sunday. The fuel arrives around 11am. Hence, it takes time to resume service. "The situation returned to normal after 2pm. It should be normal across the country by 4pm," he added.
As an explanation of the situation on Sunday, Nazmul said: "The supply depot was closed for the last two days. The depot is always closed on Fridays and Saturdays. The depot is almost dry on Sundays. The fuel arrives around 10am or 11am. My pump was closed until 12:30pm. It's up and running again after 2pm."
"The government adjusted the prices on Saturday. Then there was an audit of the BPC, the ministry and the oil company. This happens all the time. The audit happens whenever the prices increase or decrease. If you don't do one, then there is a huge problem. The whole team checks out the stock. This causes a delay and the pumps open late."