Six fuel-carrying vessels with 42 lakh litres of fuel have been stranded for the last 11 days in the Pechakhola channel at Bera upazila in Pabna causing extreme crisis of fuel there. The total fuel reserve at the fuel depots of Baghabari in Sirajganj came down to less than 14 lakh litres yesterday while the total capacity of those depots is four crore litres.

Finance Minister Saifur Rahman's proposal to increase fuel prices coupled with the shortage of fuel at the filling stations have pushed the price of petrol up to Tk 80 at some places in Sirajganj, a Tk 38 rise per litre.

Our Bogra correspondent reports that an official of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) said they were compelled to shut the floating depot at Chilmari in Kurigram. Fuel reserve in another floating depot at the Balasi river port in Gaibandha is expected to run out today, official sources said.

The BPC official said if the fuel-carrying vessels fail to reach the fuel depots today, many shallow pumps for irrigation will go out of operation. But it has become totally uncertain when those vessels will reach the depots as the water level in Pechakhola channel has fallen making it impossible for those vessels to move forward.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has started dredging the channel. It will take a few days to finish the dredging.

Already fuel prices have increased by at least Tk 5 to Tk 7 a litre at all the filling stations. The administration has deployed police at the Baghabari fuel depot to control agitated people.

BPC officials said the fuel crisis mounted because the government had not taken proper steps to face the extra fuel requirement for irrigation in the winter season.

Amid the acute fuel crisis some dealers of the district alleged that the district administration had asked them to suspend retail sales of fuel, as they need 10,000 litres of fuel on January 31 on the occasion of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's tour to Sirajganj.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Sirajganj Aminul Bari Chowdhury however said they had directed the dealers to keep 10,000 litres of fuel for government vehicles to be used on January 31 but the administration had not told them to stop selling fuel to others.

Our Rajshahi correspondent reports that fuel sales at the filling stations remained suspended there.

Filling station owners stopped sales creating an artificial crisis from Thursday following a rumour of a fuel price hike. Fuel retailers were seen selling fuel oil at almost double the price.

People in long queues were seen collecting petrol and octane at Kumpara filling station under police supervision, but other filling stations did not operate.

The DC of Rajshahi said he ordered the police yesterday morning to guard the filling stations for smooth selling of fuel.