CHATTOGRAM, Apr 12: Although Bangladesh currently has sufficient fuel reserves and no official supply shortage, petrol pumps are not dispensing adequate fuel to vehicles.
In the wake of the Middle East war, thousands of vehicles-including trucks, lorries, cars and buses-are facing fuel scarcity at the retail level.
This situation has begun to affect the local market, pushing up prices of goods as transport fares have increased.
The fuel situation has also created instability in the country's transportation sector. Freight charges for trucks, covered vans and trailers have risen significantly, directly impacting the prices of daily essentials as well as import-export activities. Traders fear a broader negative impact on the market due to the rising cost of transporting goods.
The cost of transporting goods from Chattogram Port to Dhaka and northern regions has nearly doubled. The rising costs are also putting pressure on the transportation of agricultural products, particularly to Dhaka and northern districts.
In addition, higher transportation costs for raw materials are beginning to affect industrial production, driving up overall production expenses.
Under normal conditions, hiring a trailer from Chattogram to Dhaka, Gazipur and nearby areas used to cost Tk 40,000-42,000. Due to the ongoing fuel situation, the fare has risen to as much as Tk 70,000. Similarly, truck and covered van fares have increased from Tk 20,000-22,000 to Tk 37,000-38,000.
Freight charges for bringing goods to Chattogram on return trips have also risen sharply. Earlier, a truck or covered van travelling from Dhaka to Chattogram used to charge Tk 24,000-25,000, but the fare has now climbed to around Tk 38,000.
Transport owners said they are unable to secure the required fuel due to reduced supply at filling stations. In many cases, they are receiving less than the prescribed quota. As a result, drivers are forced to wait for hours to refuel, turning journeys that previously took 10-12 hours into trips lasting up to two days. This has made multiple trips impossible, reducing vehicle operations and prompting fare hikes to offset higher costs.
The ready-made garment (RMG) sector is also facing mounting concerns over rising transportation costs. Export-oriented factories bear the cost of transporting their products to the port, but amid the ongoing fuel situation, covered van rentals have surged significantly within a short period. The increased fares for covered vans and trucks are driving up the cost of transporting both raw materials and finished garments.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain alleged that fuel traders have engineered an artificial crisis, disrupting daily life. He said that certain petrol pump and depot owners created artificial shortages of diesel and octane despite adequate domestic supply, leading to widespread disruption.
Although the government has introduced rationing measures to manage the situation, these have adversely impacted the transportation sector. Business leaders warned that if transport costs continue to rise unchecked, it will push up commodity prices and further fuel inflation.
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