Rangpur: The district administration has taken a significant step to address the ongoing fuel shortage in Rangpur by appointing 85 tag officers at filling stations across the district. These Officers-in-Charge have been actively supervising fuel stations since Monday morning to ensure a stable fuel marketing situation.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Deputy Commissioner Enamul Ahsan stated that 85 officials from various levels have been appointed as tag officers at 85 filling stations throughout the district. Their primary role is to oversee daily fuel sales activities and address any issues that may arise.
Despite these measures, local market sources and petroleum product buyers report that a shortage of fuels persists at filling stations in Rangpur. The scarcity has led to long queues of hundreds of motorcycles and numerous cars at various oil pumps since the morning hours. Many customers have been forced to wait for hours, only to leave without obtaining fuel.
Some customers attribute the crisis to greedy and unfair traders creating artificial shortages, despite the government’s efforts to ensure a smooth supply of fuels. They remain hopeful that the situation will normalize soon.
On Sunday, district administration sources revealed that the district depots have stocks of 7,522 liters of diesel, 33,500 liters of petrol, 14,000 liters of octane, and 27,000 liters of kerosene. The deployment of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at three oil depots in Rangpur has been a precautionary measure due to security concerns.
Zakir Hossain Patwary, in-charge of the Meghna depot, explained that while filling stations previously collected petrol and octane twice a week, the current demand requires daily supplies. This increased demand has made it challenging to maintain supply consistency. The presence of BGB at the depots is intended to ensure security amid the rush of customers at the pumps.