United News of Bangladesh

Concerns over fuel availability continue in Sylhet as filling stations in the city struggle to meet demand due to reduced supply from depots, prompting some pumps to suspend sales altogether. Petrol pump owners said they are receiving less fuel than required from depots, leading to the shortage. They expressed hope that the situation would ease once supply returns to normal. 6,000 litres of fuel seized in Jashore , three traders fined Tk 1.35 lakh During a visit to several filling stations in the city on Sunday afternoon, it was found that some pumps were selling fuel in limited quantities while others had stopped sales citing lack of stock. At Jalalabad Pump near Bandar Bazar, fuel sales remained suspended when the correspondent visited the station. Milon, 28, a merchant agent of bKash who came to the filling station with his motorcycle to buy fuel, said he had been unable to get petrol since Saturday night. “I haven’t been able to get fuel since last night. How will I manage my duty and travel?” he said. Additional BGB members deployed along Benapole border to prevent fuel smuggling At North East Petrol Pump in Pathantula, fuel was being sold in limited quantities in the evening, with motorcyclists receiving no more than Tk 200 worth of fuel. A similar situation was observed at Jalalabad Petrol Pump in Ambarkhana where motorbikes were given fuel worth Tk 200 to Tk 300 at most. Pump employees also said octane was unavailable when some customers requested it. However, the pump’s manager or owner could not be reached for comment. Filling station owners said the situation has continued since Friday after demand for fuel surged on Thursday, creating a shortfall. Leaders of Filling Station Owners’ Association held a meeting with Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Sarwar Alam on Sunday afternoon to discuss the matter. After the meeting, the leaders said some stations in Sylhet are facing supply shortages due to new directives issued by the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC). They also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner demanding measures to ensure adequate supply. Riasad Azim, organising secretary of the Sylhet Petrol Pump Owners’ Association, said, “The problem is with the supply system. We are not getting fuel from the depot as per demand.” He hoped that the issue would be resolved soon following discussions with the district administration. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Sarwar Alam said there is no actual fuel shortage in the country and sufficient stock remains available. “However, the administration will work according to government instructions considering the possibility of a shortage. We are in contact with the ministry and hope the situation in Sylhet will improve within a couple of days,” he said. Sylhet city BNP general secretary Emdad Hossain, who was present at the meeting, said panic buying by consumers after hearing about a possible shortage has contributed to the situation. “People are buying 10 litres instead of the usual two litres after hearing about a possible crisis, which is creating an artificial shortage,” he said, urging the public not to stockpile fuel unnecessarily. Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation on Friday imposed restrictions on fuel purchase. Under the directive, a motorcycle can receive a maximum of two litres of petrol or octane per day, while private cars are allowed up to 10 litres daily. SUVs, jeeps and microbuses can take 20–25 litres a day. Pickups and local buses are allowed to buy 70–80 litres of diesel daily, while long-distance buses, trucks and covered vans can receive 200–220 litres per day.

Sri Lankan authorities on Friday closed schools and asked public officials not to come to work in a desperate move to prepare for an acute fuel shortage that is expected to last days amid the nation's worst economic crisis in decades. The Public Administration Ministry asked the public officials — except for those who maintain essential services — not to come to work on Friday “in a view of current fuel shortage and issues in transport facilities” across the country. Also read: Sri Lankan power family falls from grace as economy tanks State- and government-approved private schools also closed Friday amid the worsening fuel shortage, with thousands of people waiting in queues at fuel stations across the country for days at a time. Sri Lanka is now almost without gasoline and faces an acute shortage of other fuels as well. The government has been struggling to find money to pay for the importation of fuel, gas and other essentials in recent months as the Indian Ocean island nation is on the brink of bankruptcy. Its economic woes have brought on a political crisis, with the government facing widespread protests and unrest. For months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to buy those essentials, most of which come from abroad. Shortages of hard currency have also hindered imports of raw materials for manufacturing and worsened inflation. Protesters blocked main roads to demand gas and fuel, and television stations showed people in some areas fighting over limited stocks. Authorities have announced countrywide power cuts of up to four hours a day because they can’t supply enough fuel to power generating stations. Sri Lanka has suspended repayment of about $7 billion in foreign loans due this year out of $25 billion to be repaid by 2026. The country’s total foreign debt is $51 billion. The finance ministry says the country currently has only $25 million in usable foreign reserves. Also read: Ranil Wickremesinghe takes oath as Sri Lanka's PM Protesters have occupied the entrance to the president’s office for more than a month, calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign. Months of anti-government rallies have led to the near-dismantling of the once-powerful ruling family, with one of the president’s brothers resigning as prime minister, and other siblings and a nephew leaving their Cabinet posts. Protesters accuse the Rajapaksas of triggering the crisis through corruption and misrule. Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Monday that about $75 billion is needed urgently to help provide essential items, but the country’s treasury is struggling to find even $1 billion. Attacks by Rajapaksa’s supporters on protesters last week sparked nationwide violence that left nine people — including a lawmaker — dead, and more than 200 injured. Homes of lawmakers and their supporters were burned down.