Fuel crisis halts speedboat operations in Kaptai Lake, passengers suffer

Speedboat operators have decided to suspend passenger services in Kaptai Lake due to the fuel oil crisis. As a result, passengers have been facing severe hardship since Sunday morning.

According to local sources, no speedboats have been operating on the lake since morning due to the lack of fuel supply. Consequently, passengers are forced to travel by slower launches.

The five upazilas of Rangamati district – Baghaichhari, Langadu, Barkal, Jurachhari and Bilaichhari – are primarily connected to the district headquarters by waterways. Wooden double-decker launches and speedboats are the main means of this communication. As launches take more time to travel, most passengers usually use speedboats.

Amar Bikash, a passenger heading to Baghaichhari, said he had left in the morning for urgent work. After failing to get a ticket on a morning pickup, he planned to go by speedboat in the afternoon. But upon arriving at the Fishery Ghat, he learned that speedboat operations were suspended.

Mohiuddin, a speedboat line worker at Rangamati's Fishery Ghat, said they have not been receiving fuel since Saturday. As a result, no speedboats could be operated from Sunday morning. He added that the matter has been reported to the district administration.

He said the district administration has instructed the Bonorupa filling station to allocate fuel for speedboats. If fuel supply begins, around 200 litres of fuel may be provided daily from Monday, which would enable at least five speedboats to operate.

Meanwhile, despite the suspension of speedboats, passenger launch services on the lake remain normal.

Moinuddin Selim, president of Rangamati Launch Owners' Association, said their launch operations are still normal. However, filling stations are not getting fuel according to demand. They currently have fuel stock for two to three days.

Rangamati District Commissioner Nazma Ashrafi said a temporary problem has arisen due to the suspension of fuel supply. Filling stations have been instructed to allocate fuel to keep launch and speedboat services running, and the administration is working to resolve the crisis.