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Standing in kilometre-long queues under the Ramadan heat, drivers across the capital waited for hours on Tuesday to refuel their vehicles, unsure when supplies would arrive and worried about missing work and iftar, as fears over potential fuel disruptions deepened amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Motorists continued to queue for hours at different petrol pumps across the capital, fearing that the ongoing Middle East conflict could disrupt fuel supplies despite repeated assurances from the authorities about adequate stock.
At several petrol pumps in Tejgaon industrial area, Malibagh, Matijheel and Rampura, private cars, motorbikes and pickup vans were seen lined up from early morning.
Some filling stations in the capital's different areas temporarily stopped selling diesel, petrol and octane during the day, intensifying the hardship.
"I have been taking fuel like this for the last five days-waiting for long hours," said Jasim Uddin, a private car driver, who was standing in a queue stretching nearly a kilometre from the Ideal Filling Station in Tejgaon towards Hatirjheel.
"We are just workers. My owner has asked me to stay until I can fill the tank. I don't even know where I will do my iftar," he said, expressing frustration over the long queues despite repeated assurances from the authorities about adequate fuel stock.
Another driver, Sujan, said he had been waiting at the same station since 7:00 am and was still there at 3:45 pm. "We heard fuel would come at 2:00 pm, but it did not arrive," he said, adding that in his 10 years of driving experience, he had never seen such a situation.
A visit to the pump around 4:00 pm found it closed, with no staff present.
Several private car owners were also seen waiting in long queues since early morning, expressing deep disappointment over the new restrictions. Many lamented that the 10-liter daily cap is insufficient for their professional and personal commutes, particularly given the prolonged wait times at refueling stations.
BPC revises limit for ride-sharing motorcycles
Amid the rush at pumps, the state-run Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) on Tuesday revised the daily refuelling limit for ride-sharing motorcycles in metropolitan areas, raising it to five litres.
In a notification, the petroleum regulator said the move was aimed at supporting app-based ride-sharing services as volatility in the Middle East disrupts international energy markets and tightens the global supply chain.
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