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As the day stretches on, queues at Dhaka’s petrol pumps have become grueling, with motorists waiting hours under the scorching sun.
They found most stations shuttered, while those still dispensing fuel face overwhelming crowds.
Pump owners say they cannot estimate when the situation might return to normal.
On Friday, a visit to the Trust Filling Station at Bijoy Sarani, Sonar Bangla LPG Station and Conversion Centre at Asad Gate, and Talukdar Filling and Servicing Centre revealed the scale of the problem.
At Sonar Bangla pump, Md Shakil, a driver, said he had checked two other pumps before joining the line at 5am.
The queue extended from Mirpur Road, looping back along the opposite side of the road, with its tail reaching the Iqbal Road playground.
By 8am, as the line moved slightly, a traffic police sergeant instructed drivers to redirect towards Dhanmondi.
Shakil finally received fuel around 11:30am, drained and sweat-soaked from hours under the scorching sun.
He added, “Earlier in the morning, I told my car owner to bring me some breakfast. He stayed with me for a while. I went to the bathroom and then returned to my spot in the line.”
By 11:30am, the queue of motorcycles at Sonar Bangla filling station had stretched nearly 1.5km, approaching Mohammadpur Townhall.
On the opposite footpath near St Joseph Higher Secondary School, motorcyclist Arafat Noyon said: “My scooter has just eight litres in the tank. Since before Eid [-ul-Fitr], I only managed to fill it once.
“I ran on my reserve for a day and a half and joined this line at 7am. There was a bit of breeze early, but the sun made it unbearable.”
Across the street at Talukdar Filling Station, the vehicle line reached the Zia Uddan bridge on Lake Road despite the station not yet starting its operations.
Drivers switched off their engines and sought refuge in the shade of nearby trees while motorcyclists left their bikes on the road to escape the heat.
Mohammed Javed, an official at the station, stood by the rope at the entrance and explained that their stock finished on Thursday night.
Although a tanker had been sent to the depot, the process was taking a long time. He could not provide a specific time for its return.
The backlog has forced many into overnight vigils. Arif Hawlader shared that the queue at the Trust Filling Station reached the Mohakhali rail crossing on Thursday night.
He arrived at 1am and kept searching for the end of the line until he reached the rail gate.
As the line stalled, many drivers fell asleep. Hawlader admitted his eyes were closing too, so he eventually called his nephew to help him stay awake. He finally received fuel at 8am.
In contrast, Masum Billah managed to get four litres of petrol at the City Filling Station in Tejgaon within an hour.
He had previously tried the Ramna Petrol Pump and Service Station at 5pm, but they stopped dispensing fuel just as he arrived.
After hearing from someone that the Tejgaon station was still operating, he headed there and successfully topped up.
Station owners remain in the dark about a solution.
Mizanur Rahman Ratan, joint convenor of the Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners Association, described the scenes as a grim reality.
He admitted they have no additional information and argued that nothing will change unless the supply is increased.
Ratan noted that out of 25 pumps, perhaps only 10 are receiving fuel.
He also voiced fears over potential unrest and mentioned that staff are resigning due to the constant pressure, with three people leaving his own pump in Bogura.
“We are also waiting to see when the war will end. Our days pass in tension and uncertainty too,” he added.