By Azad Majumder
Dhaka, Apr 21 (EFE).- Long queues at fuel stations in Bangladesh may be easing, but relief remains limited as a government fuel price hike, driven by the rising global energy costs due to the Iran war, threatens to push inflation higher and squeeze households, farmers, and transport workers.
The pressure is already being felt across the country, particularly by transport workers and small earners who depend on daily fuel purchases to sustain their livelihoods.
Sunburned and visibly fatigued, ride-sharing driver Mohammad Sujan looked somewhat relieved as he approached a petrol pump in Dhaka to refuel his motorbike on Monday.
“There isn’t much rush today. I only had to wait about three hours,” Sujan told EFE. “Three days ago, I arrived at 4 pm and waited until 4:30 am just to get 10 liters of octane. The queue is much smaller now.”
Despite shorter waits, Sujan remains worried.
A recent government decision to raise fuel prices has forced him to pay 17 percent more, cutting into his already thin earnings.
The government says the increase was unavoidable and aimed at reducing costly subsidies on petroleum products, as the ongoing Middle East conflict pushes up global energy prices.
The impact has been particularly severe for Bangladesh, a low-income South Asian country heavily dependent on imported fuel for transportation, power generation, industry, and agriculture.
The newly elected government, which took office in February, raised jet fuel prices by 80 percent in March but held off increasing other petroleum prices, especially diesel, until mid-April, despite mounting pressure.
Since the outbreak of the Middle East war, fears of supply shortages, illegal hoarding, and panic buying have led to long queues at fuel stations, sometimes stretching for kilometers and forcing people to wait for hours.
Tensions have occasionally escalated into scuffles, leaving at least one person dead, according to authorities. Others have fallen ill and, in some cases, died after enduring prolonged waits in harsh conditions.
In response, the government introduced austerity measures, including reduced office hours, earlier closing times for shopping malls, online classes in larger schools, and a mandated 30 percent cut in public fuel and electricity use.
However, these steps have done little to curb demand.
Electricity consumption remains high, especially during the summer and peak irrigation season.
“Our daily demand is usually around 15,000 megawatts, but it rises to 18,500 megawatts in summer,” said Jahurul Islam, a member of the Bangladesh Power Development Board.
“We rely on furnace oil for 3,500 megawatts and natural gas for 5,000 megawatts. What happens next depends entirely on fuel supply.”
Hasan Mehedi, CEO of the nonprofit Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN), warned that further increases in power prices could worsen the situation.
“When electricity prices rise, everything becomes more expensive,” he said. “The recent fuel hike will hit farmers hard. Millions rely on diesel for irrigation. Without increased subsidies, many may be forced to stop farming, risking food shortages.”
Zahed Ur Rahman, an adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, acknowledged the challenges but said options are limited.
“The price hike is meant to reduce subsidies. We know it will drive inflation, but we have no alternative. The war has placed immense pressure on our already fragile economy,” he told EFE.
Inflation remained high at 8.6 percent between April 2025 and March 2026, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, the prime minister’s finance adviser, said Bangladesh is bearing the brunt of a global crisis with little external support.
“We inherited strong inflationary pressure, and yet no one is helping. We are among the worst affected by this war,” he said. EFE
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