Barishal faces acute shortage of petrol

More than 150 filling stations, including back point dealers, in ten south-western districts are facing a serious crisis of petrol.

Jamuna oil depot is run out of petrol for the last three weeks. Meghna and Padma oil depots in Jhalkathi have a limited stock of oil, which is not enough to meet the demands.

Rent-a-car businessman of Barishal city Sumon Hossain told The Business Standard, "After some unsuccessful efforts to get petrol at four petrol stations, I finally got some at a station, but very little against my necessity. So, I decreased the number of trips."

Biker KM Shoyeb Juwel said, "In the morning today, I went to a dealer point of oil in the city. But I did not get fuel there. Then, I went to a petrol station at Kashipur and bought two litres of petrol. There is no possibility of getting petrol soon."

Fakhrul Islam, manager of Jamuna oil company, the largest oil depot in Barishal, told The Business Standard, "Barishal is facing a shortage of fuel, including petrol and LP gas as the servicing of the oil refinery machine is going on in Chattogram. The crisis will come to an end soon."

"We do not have petrol for many days. Our dealers and filling stations are not getting a sufficient amount of petrol from Padma and Meghna depot to meet their demands. But earlier when there was a shortage of petrol at Padma and Meghna depots in Jhalkathi, petrol was supplied to their dealers and filling stations from Jamuna oil depot," he added. 

"Minimum 25 lakh litres of petrol is needed at Jamuna oil depot each month," he said further.

Tank-lorry workers' union secretary of Barishal division Sheikh Kamal Uddin said, "Usually, diesel, petrol, octane, kerosene and LP gas are delivered to ten south-western districts from Jamuna, Meghna and Padma oil depots in Barishal, and Meghna and Padma oil depots in Jhalkathi.

However, only Jamuna oil depot in Barishal sells fuel. The depot has no petrol for three weeks. As a result, various filling stations and pack point dealers went to Meghna and Padma depots, but they got only one-third against their needs. So, the south-western districts are facing a shortage of petrol.

Earlier, there was no patrol at Jamuna oil depot for 15 days last month.

Manager of Hazi filling station at Rupatoli area in Barishal Md Rana said, "There is a shortage of petrol in Barishal, and filling stations are getting petrol from depots on a priority basis. So, mainly dealers are facing problems."

Divisional Commissioner of Barishal Mohammad Yamin Chowdhury said, "I am not aware of the petrol crisis at the government depots in Barishal. The proper initiative will be taken to solve the crisis soon."