Acute fuel shortage in Sylhet
Sylhet Correspondent :
The fuel shortage is becoming more acute day by day in Sylhet. Filling station owners and traders are not getting the required supply of fuel.
Where previously two consignments used to come in a week through railway wagons, now not even one consignment is coming in two weeks. Due to the fuel shortage, there has already been a cry at every filling station.
Traders are extremely worried about this. Many filling stations are already waiting for it to go ‘dry’. This fuel shortage has given rise to new discussions throughout Sylhet during the upcoming elections and Boro season.
When the fuel traders could sense that there might be a fuel shortage in Sylhet, they immediately informed the Sylhet district administration about it. But they could not come up with any solution.
The business community is really worried about this. The last cargo ship of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC)’s marketing company Jamuna Oil Company for this year arrived in Sylhet on Thursday.
However, it will take time until Sunday to unload it. Although this supply is not sufficient.
The Sylhet divisional branch of the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents and Petrol Pump Owners Association, the apex organization of fuel traders, held an emergency meeting on Saturday evening regarding the issue.
According to the meeting sources, a letter will be sent to the BPC Chairman, Sylhet Deputy Commissioner, and MDs of Padma, Meghna and Jamuna to inform the concerned about the fear of fuel crisis.
Investigations revealed that among the depots of BPC’s marketing company Jamuna Oil Company, Padma Oil PLC and Meghna Petroleum in Sylhet, only Jamuna Oil Company had the opportunity to bring fuel products on cargo ships as it had a jetty on the Surma River.
The remaining two companies, Padma Oil PLC and Meghna Petroleum, have to rely on railway wagons.
But the indifference of the railway has left the Sylhet depots of the two companies in a difficult position in supplying fuel products.
The cargo ships, the last hope of Jamuna, are not able to come to Sylhet from next week due to the navigability crisis.
As a result, it is feared that the fuel product crisis in the Sylhet region will become acute during the upcoming Boro season and the national elections.
Although the fuel product traders have staged protests with various higher authorities of the government in this regard, nothing is being done.
On September 18, Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Sarwar Alam and on September 27, Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) Commissioner Abdul Quddus Chowdhury were met separately by the leaders of the Sylhet divisional committee of the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents and Petrol Pump Owners Association and informed them fully about the fuel product crisis.
Although they have assured business leaders about the immediate resolution of the crisis, no visible steps have been taken so far. As a result, fuel product traders are extremely worried about this.
Ashraful Islam, Marketing Officer of BPC’s marketing company Padma Oil PLC Sylhet Depot, said, “We are aware of the fuel product crisis in the Sylhet region. We have informed the Deputy Commissioner locally.
He has assured us that he is sending a letter to the Ministry of Energy. In addition, we also regularly inform our higher authorities as per the rules. But if our higher authorities do not resolve the crisis, what can we do?”
Syed Alam, Marketing Officer of Meghna Petroleum Sylhet Depot, said, “We have continued our efforts. Now if the government authorities cannot show sincerity, what will we do?”
