A serious ill business practice has started in the northern region including Rangpur with fuel, diesel and petrol. Despite adequate stocks of diesel and petrol at Rangpur, Parbatipur and Baghabari depots, artificial crises are being created.
Talking to the pump owners and depot in-charges, four reasons for the fuel oil crisis in the region have been identified. That is due to traffic congestion on the roads due to Eid, tank-lorries are not running properly during the holidays, the pump owners did not extract oil from the depot.
Besides, due to engine crisis in the train, oil did not reach Rangpur and Parbatipur depots on time and the pump owners could not submit pay-orders to the depots for oil extraction as the banks were closed on continuous holidays. For all these reasons, a circle is trying to gain by showing an artificial crisis.
According to the Petroleum Corporation's Rangpur, Parbatipur and Baghabari depots, petrol and diesel are supplied daily from the Padma, Meghna and Jamuna depots under the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation at about 600 pumps in the north. Over 2,000 tank-lorries have been supplying oil to various pumps in the region. 3 million liters of oil is supplied to Parbatipur depot every month. Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Bogra, Rajshahi. . These filling stations require about 5 million liters of fuel oil and diesel per day during the boro season. From December to April alone, the region needs 12 to 15 lakh liters of diesel per day. With the end of the current boro season, there is little demand for oil at the farmer level. This oil is supplied from Chittagong, Khulna and Baghabari depots. Train wagons and tank lorries are used to transport these fuels.
Sources further said that at present there is an empty railway wagon lying in Parbatipur. They can't bring oil because the engine doesn't come. However, there is enough oil in the depot. Oil is supplied from Moulvibazar gas field to Parbatipur Railhead Oil Depot. Which is supplied to Parbatipur Railhead Oil Depot by Padma, Meghna and Jamuna Oil Company Limited under Petrobangla. The arrival of oil is being delayed due to the crisis in the engine carrying oil for Eid.
According to the investigation, many people have shut down the pumps on the pretext of an oil crisis. Although one or two pumps were open, they were seen lining up. In this opportunity, many people are taking the price of oil in the open market from 10 to 20 rupees per liter. Rabiul Islam, manager of Parbatipur Meghna Well, said, "We have sufficient stock of petrol and diesel. There is no danger of a crisis." This problem is due to the lack of an engine. The problem will be solved in a day or two. Rangpur-based petrol pump owner Manjur Hossain said there was no oil crisis. Due to Eid, many could not submit pay orders for oil extraction. That is why such a situation has arisen. However, very soon the situation will be normal.
Saeed Hossain, manager of Meghna Petroleum Rangpur, said on Monday that the oil supply was delayed due to the train. However, a wagon has already arrived with 930,000 liters of diesel-petrol, octane and kerosene. Oil will not be a problem.