Fuel Shortage in Bashundhara Residential Area Forces Residents to Travel Long Distances for Fuel

Rapid expansion of residential and commercial areas in eastern Dhaka has not been matched by adequate fuel-supply infrastructure, leaving residents of areas along the 300 Feet Road and near Purbachal dependent on filling stations several kilometres away.

As a result, residents are spending additional time and money to refuel their vehicles. The extra trips are also contributing to additional traffic on major roads in and around Kuril and Khilkhet.

Abdullah Al Mamun, a resident of a housing project near the 300 Feet Road, regularly drives to filling stations in Kuril or along the airport road to collect fuel. He said a significant amount of fuel is consumed simply while travelling to a station.

“I went out two days ago to get a few litres of fuel. Half of the fuel was used up before I reached the station. If I had failed to get fuel for any reason, I might have run out completely and been stranded on the road. If there were enough filling stations nearby, we would not have to travel such a long distance,” he said.

Rapid Residential Expansion, Rising Fuel Demand

According to local residents, large numbers of people now live in Bashundhara, Police Officers Housing Society, Navy Housing, Swadesh Swarnali, Swadesh Sunvalley, United and other residential areas extending from Kuril along the 300 Feet Road towards Purbachal.

Residents of these areas largely depend on comparatively distant filling stations for vehicle fuel.

In contrast, several filling stations are located along the roughly 1.5-kilometre stretch from the Gulshan-Tejgaon Link Road to Satrasta. Residents say the contrast highlights a gap between fuel infrastructure and demand in the rapidly expanding residential areas of eastern Dhaka.

They claim that many vehicles have to travel additional distances every day simply to collect fuel. This increases fuel consumption and wastes valuable working hours, while the additional trips also put pressure on surrounding roads.

According to information provided by local residents, some vehicles have to travel more than 10 kilometres to Kuril, around 13 kilometres to Khilkhet and nearly 18 kilometres to Jalsiri for fuel.

As a result, part of the fuel consumed during the journey is effectively spent on the trip to obtain fuel itself. Residents say the additional journey can also take between 30 and 60 minutes in some cases.

Additional Traffic, Fuel Consumption and Environmental Costs

The problem is not limited to private cars. Public transport, goods vehicles, ride-sharing cars and motorcycles also have to make additional trips to obtain fuel.

Residents fear that continued residential and commercial expansion in eastern Dhaka could eventually result in daily traffic of around three to four lakh vehicles in the area. Without adequate local fuel infrastructure, the additional traffic pressure could increase further. Some stakeholders also believe the pressure could rise after the complete relocation of the Mohakhali Bus Depot.

The additional vehicle movement also has financial and environmental consequences.

According to local estimates, if 50,000 vehicles travel an average additional seven kilometres every day to obtain fuel, the total additional travel would amount to around 350,000 vehicle-kilometres per day.

If vehicles consume an average of 0.10 to 0.12 litres of fuel per kilometre, the additional travel could require approximately 35,000 to 42,000 litres of fuel every day.

This means that inadequate local filling-station infrastructure may result not only in additional traffic and lost working hours but also in substantial additional fuel consumption.

The extra fuel burned would also contribute to carbon emissions and air pollution. Increased traffic could further raise noise pollution, making the issue a matter of urban planning and environmental management as well as fuel accessibility.

Approval of New Filling Stations Remains a Concern

Local residents allege that during the previous government, the establishment of new filling stations was halted through a special order, while the establishment of LPG stations continued.

They claim that restrictions on new filling stations prevented fuel infrastructure from keeping pace with the rapid expansion of residential areas and their growing demand.

As residential areas expanded, populations and private vehicle numbers increased. However, residents say opportunities to establish adequate filling stations based on future demand did not develop accordingly, leaving them dependent on distant stations.

A senior Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the approval process for new petrol pumps under the existing policy had been suspended through a special office order. He said a related policy had been formulated around 2019-20.

According to the official, the government has asked BPC to prepare a draft policy for approving new petrol pumps and filling stations. A previous draft submitted by BPC to the ministry was returned to the corporation for further review.

The official said consultations had been held with various stakeholders and that the draft policy was now at the final stage of review. The process of finalising the policy could be completed soon, he said, adding that the suspension of new filling-station approvals was the main reason for the current situation.

Call for Planned Filling Stations

Residents are calling for a comprehensive study of the present and future fuel demand in Bashundhara Residential Area and surrounding neighbourhoods.

They propose that at least two or three suitable locations be identified for planned filling stations based on the number of vehicles, population, future residential and commercial expansion, and road capacity.

At the same time, they stress that fire safety, environmental clearance, urban planning, road capacity, vehicle entry and exit arrangements, and sufficient space for waiting vehicles must be ensured before any new station is established.

Stakeholders believe coordinated action is required from the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, BPC, RAJUK, the Roads and Highways Department, city corporations and the Department of Environment.

Mohammad Ali, a resident of Police Officers Housing Society, said planned filling stations would reduce the need to travel long distances for fuel.

“This would help reduce unnecessary vehicle movement, fuel and financial waste, and the loss of people’s working hours,” he said.

Tajul Islam, a resident of United City, said reducing unnecessary trips for fuel would ease pressure on the Kuril-Khilkhet corridor.

“It would also help control air and noise pollution,” he said.

He added, “Residential and commercial development is expanding rapidly in this part of eastern Dhaka. Vehicle numbers and fuel demand will increase further in the future. The necessary infrastructure should therefore be developed now, taking future demand into account.”

Need for Better Coordination in Urban Planning

Urban planning expert Professor Dr Adil Mohammad Khan said urban infrastructure should be planned according to the population and needs of a particular area.

“If there is a lack of coordination in planning, residents ultimately have to bear the negative consequences,” he said.

He added, “The number of people living in these areas is increasing, but the necessary facilities for obtaining fuel are not being provided, or it is not possible to provide them at the required level. As a result, people have to travel to other areas, creating additional pressure there as well.”

Stakeholders say fuel-supply infrastructure in eastern Dhaka should be planned now based on projected population and vehicle growth. Otherwise, the need to travel longer distances for fuel could continue to contribute to traffic congestion, fuel wastage and environmental pollution.