On the other hand, about 100 tank lorries which went to depots of Jamuna and Padma oil companies in the city for fuel returned empty, president of Sylhet Division Petroleum Dealers and Agents Association Mohsinur Rashid said yesterday evening.

Supply of petrol is however normal, he said.

He apprehended that fuel crisis in the district may aggravate as officials at the depots told dealers that there would not be any supply for three days from yesterday due to Eid vacation.

An official of Padma oil company, when contacted, however said there was no supply from depots yesterday because of weekly government holiday.

But the dealers and agents said, as in the past, oil depots should have supplied fuel yesterday in view of the Eid.

Most of the filling stations in Sylhet are running without octane for last few days while supply of diesel was also reduced by about 50 per cent, the dealers claimed.

Owners of a number of filling stations in Sylhet city claimed that the three state run oil companies did not to supply octane to about 100 filling stations in Sylhet region in last six days.

A dealer of Meghna at Sobhanighat in Sylhet city said, the depot authorities informed him earlier that supply of diesel and octane would remain suspended for five days from Thursday.

Supply was suspended for two days only on previous Eid vacations, he claimed.

Mohsinur Rashid said that supply was suspended due to storage in Padma and Jamuna oil depots in Sylhet. He demanded immediate resumption of supplies to avoid a greater crisis.

An official of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) seeking anonymity said diesel supply was reduced in last six months to stop smuggling through border.

He however hinted that there could be short supply from Chittagong due to problems in import.