Many a transport operator returned empty-handed from filling stations and had to keep their vehicles idle. While many others secured fuel at cutthroat prices from an instantly emerged black market.

Cashing in on the limited supply of oils, filling station owners in many places charged exorbitant prices for octane, petrol, and diesel. In Satkhira, petrol was sold at Tk 52 a litre against the official rate of Tk 42. Some customers even paid Tk 55 to Tk 60 per litre to buy petrol from retailers.

Nevertheless, a government handout last night claimed there is no fuel crisis in the country, as it has some 3.5 lakh metric tons (MTs) of different grades of oils in stock.

In another development, Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman yesterday said the government would decide about increasing the oil prices within a week.

GOVT BLAMES HOARDERS
Quoting a Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) statement, a government handout last night said it has some 3.5 lakh MT oil in stock, which could meet the demand of at least the next one and a half months.

On average the BPC is now selling 8,500 MT diesel a day, compared to 7,000 MT in the corresponding period last year, the handout said, adding the petrol, octane, and kerosene are also being distributed in increased volume.

However, the handout alleged a section of unscrupulous dealers is trying to create an artificial crisis of fuel through hoarding, anticipating a price hike and in the hope of making windfall profits.

It said the government is determined to take stern measures against these hoarders, as the BPC is supplying fuel from all depots at the fixed prices. So, the dealers have no reason for charging extra amount from the consumers, the handout observed.

The BPC, however, informed the dealers that the supply of oils on the weekend, Friday and Saturday, and other government holidays will remain suspended as usual.

The schedule was relaxed for the December-April period being the high-irrigation season. As that season has expired, the distribution schedule will revert to the usual from May 1, the handout said.

The government requested the dealers to collect their required fuel oils on the weekdays and to keep adequate stock for selling throughout the week.

OIL PRICE DECISION
A decision on the increase of oil prices would be taken within a week, Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman told the press after a meeting of the cabinet committee on economic affairs yesterday.

Taking a decision in this matter is not easy, he remarked, as the government will have to consider the macro and microeconomic effects. The issue also needs to be thoroughly discussed with the people concerned, he said, adding after that a proposal in this regard will be sent to the prime minister.

On privatising oil import, Saifur said he himself has been suggesting this for long. But, he does not know exactly why it is not happening. He said a 'vested quarters' is standing in the way of privatising the petroleum distributing companies.

CTG SITUATION
Our Chittagong correspondent reports: Unusually long queues were seen at the main depots of all the three marketing companies of BPC, as the fuel supply to dealers resumed yesterday.

Tank lorries started lining up since Saturday night and by the morning their number went beyond a hundred at each of the supply depots, sources said.

With the supply resumed, all the petrol pumps in the port city started operating since 9:00am.

Sources said the supply resumed at 6,500 MT for diesel and 1,500 MT for kerosene a day.

The BPC at present has 126,972 MT diesel and 16,041 MT kerosene in its stock that can sustain the country for about 21 days and 11 days respectively, BPC sources said.

Besides, an oil tanker laden with 20 thousand MT diesel and 10 thousand MT kerosene from Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) is due to reach Chittagong Port within the next three to four days, they said.

Another oil tanker carrying the same quantity of KPC diesel and kerosene is also expected to arrive by May 6, they added.

KHULNA SCENARIO
Our Khulna correspondent reports: A severe fuel crisis hit the consumers in Khulna district, as petrol pumps could not supply diesel on Saturday to 6pm yesterday. Transport owners could not buy diesel from any of the 26 filling stations in Khulna City before yesterday evening.

According to dealers, over 500 petrol pumps in Khulna division were out of diesel, disrupting both road and river transport services in the last two days.

According to Khulna Division Fuel Oil Dealers Association, contrary to government allegation, no one can smuggle even a single drop of diesel out of this division, as the association members are now united against the smugglers to safeguard their businesses.

"If this situation persists, we will have no alternative but to wind up our business," said M Mahbub Alam, joint secretary of the association, adding they have demanded to raise the price of diesel to keep its supply steady.

SATKHIRA
Our Satkhira correspondent reports: Most of the filling stations in the district have stopped selling fuel for the last two days causing immense sufferings farmers, transport owners and other consumers.

Long queues of vehicles were seen yesterday at the filling stations but most of them had to go away empty-handed and in utter frustration.

However, a few of the vehicles could get one or two litres of fuel.

Taking advantage of the situation, a section of retailers are selling fuels at exorbitant prices. Petrol is selling at Tk 52 a litre. Some customers said they had to buy petrol at rates as high as Tk 55 to Tk 60 a litre.

'No petrol' notices were seen hanging at most of the filling stations.

Owner of Kapotakshi filling station Shukur Ali said he did not send his lorry to collect oil from Khulna yesterday, as the BPC had allotted him only 1,200 litres of oil against his demand for 5,000 litres.

BOGRA
Our Bogra correspondent writes: A BPC high official in Bogra yesterday said some oil dealers and filling station owners in the northern region have hoarded a huge quantity of diesel, petrol, octane, and kerosene with a view to sell them on the black market.

Mizanur Rahman Raton, general secretary of Rajshahi Division Fuel Oil Distributors Association, however, denied the allegation. He said rather the rationing system the BPC has adopted in supplying fuel oils has given rise to the fuel crisis in some northern areas.

Sources at the BPC northern control room in Bogra said at least 1.54 crore (15,418,000) litres of diesel was in stock early yesterday in the northern oil depots including the main depot at Baghabari, Sirajganj.

An official at Baghabari depot said the depot has over 2.75 lakh litres of petrol, 25 lakh litres of kerosene and 19 thousand litres of octane in reserve.

Yet, a local journalist said, diesel is selling at a price Tk 2 to Tk 3 higher than the official price rate in some areas adjacent to Baghabari depot including Pachakola, Birishalika and Coal Ghat.

An NGO worker posted in Naogaon district said petrol has been selling at Tk 50 a litre in Badalgachhi upazila of the district during the last three days.

A BPC mobile probe team during a visit to Bogra on Saturday found that some filling station were sending away customers saying they had run dry of fuel. In some cases, the team found the petrol pumps were serving a limited amount of fuel to buyers, much less than they required.

MOULVIBAZAR
Our Moulvibazar correspondent reports: A severe fuel crisis gripped the district with most of its filing stations suspending sales.

Though a few filling stations were selling petrol, diesel and octane, but their owners said their stocks were too poor and they might be forced to stop selling at any time.

BARISAL
Our Barisal correspondent adds: The inter-district road transport in Barisal division and that on Faridpur-Barisal route are in jeopardy in face of a severe fuel oil crisis.

Fuel oils are scarce in Barisal and Faridpur, as the supplies from Jhalakathi depot have been significantly reduced.

Initially the Padma, Meghna and Jamuna oil depots in Barisal cut down the supply, triggering the scarcity, oil dealers said, adding the situations further aggravated as Jhalakathi depot also reduced allocation of fuel oils.

The dealers alleged the crisis was artificial. According to sources, there were 3.4 lakh litre kerosene and 4.12 lakh litre diesel in the local depot of Padma Oil Company on April 22. Though the stock was adequate for at least a week, the depot was declared empty of stock after four days only.

In the floating depot of Jamuna Oil Company, 77,000 litre diesel and 71,000 litre kerosene were in stock on April 22. The depot supervisor, Sayed Habibur Rahman, said a ship carrying 2.40 lakh litres of diesel and 3.90 lakh litres of kerosene is scheduled to reach Jhalakathi within the next couple of days. But, if the ship does not come in time, the stock can meet the needs for 10 days only.