Dhaka, April 3 -- As the day stretches on, queues at Dhaka's petrol pumps have become grueling, with motorists waiting hours under the scorching sun.

They found most stations shuttered, while those still dispensing fuel face overwhelming crowds.

Pump owners say they cannot estimate when the situation might return to normal.

On Friday, a visit to the Trust Filling Station at Bijoy Sarani, Sonar Bangla LPG Station and Conversion Centre at Asad Gate, and Talukdar Filling and Servicing Centre revealed the scale of the problem.

At Sonar Bangla pump, Md Shakil, a driver, said he had checked two other pumps before joining the line at 5am.

The queue extended from Mirpur Road, looping back along the opposite side of the road, with its tail re...