On a recent Saturday evening, a line of motorcycles stretched from a gas station in Dhaka. The queue snaked along the road for kilometers, its end out of sight. In the late afternoon heat, delivery and ride-hailing drivers leaned against their bikes, wiping sweat from their faces. Some scrolled through their phones; others waited in silence for fuel that might or might not arrive.

Among them was 25-year-old Rubel Malita. He had been standing in line since 1 p.m. Five hours later, he finally reached the pump. He was only allowed to buy 500 taka ($4) worth of diesel. 

“It’s not just less income; it’s lost time and energy. We spend hours in line instead of earning,” he said. 

Malita has worked full time in ride-sharing for the past two years, earning around 30,000 taka ($243) a month driving for Uber and PathaoiPathaoPathao is a Bangladesh-based on-demand delivery platform, founded in 2015, which started as a ride-sharing business.READ MORE. 

Like many gig workers, he relies on daily trips for income, and without a fixed salary or benefits, any disruption quickly cuts into his earnings. 

The current fuel shortage, sparked by Israel and the U.S.’ war with Iran, has upended his income, exposing the lack of safety nets in platform-based work. Drivers say that during such disruptions, ride-sharing companies continue to take the same commission rates while offering no financial support when trips dry up. Last month, his income fell by almost half to 17,000 taka ($138), pushing him into financial strain. 

Like many gig workers in Dhaka, Rubel now spends hours every day searching for fuel — time that could otherwise be spent earning. Across Bangladesh, the shortage reflects a wider disruption in the country’s fuel supply chain, which depends heavily on imports for nearly 95% of its petroleum needs. 

Bangladesh’s fuel crisis started in early March, days after the war in Iran began. Drivers rushed to filling stations out of fear of shortages. 

Many Bangladeshis are aware that the country relies heavily on fuel imports from the region, and local media reports about possible supply disruptions added to the anxiety. Government officials later reported that the conflict had delayed ships carrying oil tankers, thereby exerting pressure on the country’s fuel supply.

The tension around fuel shortage has intensified in recent weeks. On March 30, a gas station manager was reportedly run over and killed after a dispute over fuel. Following the incident, the local Petrol Pump Owners Association shut down all filling stations in the district for one day.

Fuel prices have so far remained unchanged in the country. Speaking at an event on Thursday, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said that although fuel prices, including diesel, have been increased in many countries, Bangladesh has so far refrained from raising prices to avoid public hardship.

Dhaka’s fuel lines reveal the high human cost of the platform business model: While companies like Uber and Pathao can insulate their margins from the shockwaves of the U.S.-led geopolitical volatility, they do so by leaving the physical and financial risks of a failing supply chain entirely on the shoulders of their drivers.

Al Amin, a Dhaka-based private driver who also works for ride-hailing platforms, recently lined up at a gas station at 4 a.m. “Even though the pump was closed, vehicles were already lined up,” he said. “After it opened at 2:30 p.m., the queue moved slowly.”

Earlier that day, more than 250 vehicles were stuck in a two-kilometer-long (1.2 miles) line in central Dhaka. A Talukdar Filling Station accounts officer told Rest of World that distribution began around 2:30 p.m. and continued as long as supplies lasted. Fuel was being rationed at 500 taka ($4) for motorcycles, 1,000 taka for private cars, and 1,500 taka for larger vehicles. 

Ride-sharing in the country is dominated by platforms such as Uber and Pathao, with tens of thousands of motorcycle drivers registered nationwide. Drivers say they are receiving no support from platforms during the ongoing crisis. Malita told Rest of World that despite the fuel shortage, the companies continue to charge the same commission rates and fares remain unchanged.

“The situation is somewhat like Covid-19. But no one is standing beside us. I work on both apps. They are still charging the same commission as before,” he said.

Md. Hedayet Ullah, 34, said he used to complete 10–12 trips a day across Uber and Pathao. Pathao, he said, applies a sliding commission structure, while Uber charges him to operate on the platform. He said that neither the fares nor the fees have changed despite the fuel shortage.

“I stood in line from 10 a.m. and got fuel at 4 p.m. In that time, I could have earned at least 1,000 taka ($8),” he said.

We spend hours in line instead of earning.”Rubel Malita, a ride-share gig worker in Bangladesh

Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, a leading Bangladeshi think tank, said fuel shortages are disrupting nearly all economic activity across Bangladesh. But the impact is particularly severe on gig workers such as ride-share drivers, whose earnings depend entirely on the financial viability of making daily trips. 

He said that without targeted support — such as faster fuel access, digital distribution systems, and relief in platform commissions — the financial pressure on these self-employed workers will only deepen.  

A spokesperson for Pathao said over email that the fuel crisis has reduced service reliability. The company said profitability has declined under the current conditions. While fares have not been directly increased, Pathao is relying on dynamic pricing and targeted incentives to help drivers recover lost income during peak hours. But the company warned that prolonged fuel shortages could affect the long-term reliability and affordability of ride-hailing services.  

Officials say that as fears of shortages spread, some people have been buying fuel from multiple stations in a single day. 

To address the issue, the government has introduced a pilot QR code-based “Fuel Pass” system under the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation. It currently operates at seven stations. Under the system, drivers can purchase more fuel at a single station, but have a cap on how much they can purchase across stations.

Monir Hossain Chowdhury, joint secretary and spokesperson of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, told Rest of World about 110,000 people have signed up for the program so far. He said the system will be expanded to seven more stations next week, with a plan to eventually include all motorcycle users in Dhaka.

But users say the system is often unreliable. Many struggle to register, and the website frequently does not load due to server problems.

Driver Hedayet Ullah said he was unable to sign up. “The Fuel Pass website is not accessible,” he said.

Officials say the current supply is sufficient, with no risk of shortage.

At a press briefing on April 15 at the Bangladesh Secretariat, Chowdhury said there are sufficient reserves of octane and gasoline to meet Bangladesh’s needs for the next two months. Three fuel tankers are currently docked at Chattogram Port, and more are expected to arrive in the coming weeks as scheduled.

But Chowdhury acknowledged that the Eastern Refinery Limited, the country’s only state-owned oil refinery in Chattogram, is currently operating at reduced capacity due to delayed crude oil shipments scheduled for March and April. Drivers and wide swaths of the public cast doubt on the government’s two-month projection.

Meanwhile, gas station owners told Rest of World that the queues have reached unprecedented levels.

“We have never seen such pressure before,” said Mizanur Rahman, a member of the Petrol Pump Owners Association.

Chowdhury expressed hope that the next shipment will arrive by April 20. He said a crude oil vessel has already left Yanbu Port in Saudi Arabia, and is expected to reach Bangladesh in late April or early May.