A worsening fuel crisis has gripped Rangpur, leaving motorcyclists and private car owners stranded in long queues for hours as petrol pumps struggle with limited supply across the district.

According to local sources, around 350 petrol pumps operate in the city and eight upazilas of the district, but more than half of them are not supplying fuel regularly.

A visit to several petrol pumps on Friday morning found severe shortages of petrol and octane, with many displaying “no fuel” signs. At the pumps still operating, customers were being rationed to a maximum of Tk 200 worth of fuel each.

A similar situation has been seen across eight upazilas, including Mithapukur, Pirganj, Pirgachha, Kaunia, Badarganj, Taraganj and Gangachara, where many people said they waited 10 to 12 hours without receiving fuel.

Affected drivers said the shortage is disrupting urgent work, with office-goers, businesspeople and ambulance services among the worst affected.

Motorcyclist Sohel Mia said he waited for two hours at a pump in the morning but was later told that fuel had run out, forcing him to look for another station. Private car owners reported similar experiences.

Pump managers said each station is currently receiving only 3,000 to 4,000 litres of petrol-octane per day, which is far below the demand, forcing them to ration supply.

Authorities said the crisis has arisen due to a mismatch between supply and demand triggered by the Middle East conflict, adding that efforts are underway to stabilise the situation.