Written by The Banking Post
Chattogram Port received its eighth diesel shipment of March on Tuesday morning, with a Panama-flagged vessel, PVT Solana, carrying 30,000 tonnes from Malaysia. The ship arrived at the port’s outer anchorage around 3:00 am and will discharge the fuel via lightering or directly at the dolphin jetty.
According to the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), another vessel with a similar diesel load is scheduled for April 3, and a 70,000-tonne LNG ship will arrive on April 4.
March saw 33 fuel vessels dock at Chattogram Port, including 15 oil tankers, eight LNG carriers, and nine LPG ships. Chattogram Port Authority Secretary Refayat Hamim said, “Most of the 33 ships have already unloaded and returned. Six more ships are expected by April 4, including three LNG carriers, two gas oil ships, and one LPG vessel.”
Despite the steady arrivals, fuel queues remain long, particularly for motorcycles. Some petrol pumps are now operating for only a few hours a day, with octane supply identified as the main issue.
Mohammad Mainuddin, member secretary of the Petrol Pump Owners Association Chattogram Division, said, “There is no diesel crisis in Chattogram, but there is an octane shortage. Demand has surged after the oil crisis began, while supply remains unchanged.”
To manage the situation, the Chattogram District Administration has conducted 98 mobile court drives, filing 18–20 cases and imposing fines totaling around Tk 0.45 million. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah added, “There is no fuel shortage in the country. Stocks of octane, petrol, and diesel are sufficient. People should not panic-buy, and action will be taken against anyone hoarding fuel.”
