Petrol pump owners in Sylhet call for strike

The Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors Agents and Petrol Pump Owner's Association has called for a strike of an indefinite period after four petrol pumps were fined in a mobile court drive.

Leaders of the association said that CNG refuelling stations and petrol pumps will continue the strike starting from 27 December with six demands.

Jubayer Ahmed Chowdhury, general secretary of the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors Agents and Petrol Pump Owners Association Sylhet Division confirmed the matter.

Jubayer Ahmed Chowdhury said, "We have called a strike demanding six points. The demands are that fuel oil selling companies stop supplying low quality petrol and instead supply high quality petrol from Sylhet's gas field. Also, fuel oil testing labs must be set up at every depot in Sylhet to control the quality of the oil."

"Unjust and intentional harassment by various government agencies must be stopped. The presence of a representative of the association and a representative of the oil selling company should be ensured by the government department while conducting drives at petrol pumps," he continued.

"License renewals issued by government departments must be facilitated and a rogue Consumer Rights Protection Department official must be withdrawn from Sylhet immediately," Jubayer Ahmed Chowdhury added.

He said, "We used to sell oil produced by Sylhet Gas Fields but private companies have been supplying oil – adulterated and of very low quality – to petrol pumps in Sylhet for a few months now."

"This is why the Department of Consumer Rights Protection conducted a raid and fined our pumps," he added.

A mobile court comprising Rapid Action Battalion 9, BSTI and the National Consumer Rights Protection Department conducted a drive and fined four petrol pumps for irregularities in fuel measurement on Monday.

Messrs (M/S) Bengal Gasoline and Servicing was fined one lakh taka, Haji Majnu Mia Filling Station was fined one lakh taka, M/s Surma Petroleum was fined Tk50,000, and M/s North East Well Company was fined one lakh taka.

Moreover, various transport-related organisations in Sylhet have gone on a 72-hour transport strike since Tuesday demanding that stone extraction restart at shut quarries in Sylhet.