On Saturday in Jibannagar upazila of Chuadanga district, women were seen standing in long queues at local fuel pumps to collect diesel. The move came as families sought to reduce the workload of male members who were spending entire days waiting for fuel, disrupting their agricultural and other daily activities. At the Angan Filling Station in Santoshpur, women waited with diesel cards and bottles alongside men.

Several women explained that their husbands’ time at the pumps prevented them from working in the fields or operating vehicles used for transporting agricultural goods. By taking their place in line, the women aimed to ensure that household and farming activities continued without interruption. One woman said her husband could now focus on fieldwork while she waited for fuel.

According to the station manager, both men and women were being served, with a system that provided fuel to one woman after every five men. Similar scenes of women’s participation were reported at other pumps in the upazila.