Rangpur, Sept. 12 -- A prolonged shortage of fuel has hit filling stations across five northern districts, with depots in Rangpur running nearly empty due to disrupted rail supplies from Chattogram.

Officials at the Padma, Meghna and Jamuna depots said the crisis has dragged on for about five months, severely straining the supply chain.

Against a monthly demand of roughly 2.5 crore litres for the region, only about 30 lakh litres were delivered in August.

Fuel from the Rangpur depots normally serves Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Nilphamari.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) sources and depot officials blamed the railway's shortage of locomotives for the persistent disruption.

Md Azizur Islam Mintu, president of t...