Several pump owners in the capital are not seen observing the indefinite strike which was called by a faction of fuel oil traders across the country from today (September 3) to press home their 3-point demand.
On the first day of the strike on Sunday, several pumps were seen open in the capital.
In Kalyanpur, diesel, and octane are being sold at Khaleq Service Center, one of the city's major petrol and CNG pump stations.
Its sales representative Shahadat Talukdar told Banglanews: "Our pump is open for 24 hours. Those who are in need can visit."
Russell, an employee at the Mirpur Rokeya Sarani petrol pump, said, "We don't know about the strike. We will sell the available fuel as long as it lasts."
The Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners Association (BPPOA) since early August has been agitating for a 7.5 per cent commission on fuel oil sales, a gazette notification mentioning petrol pump owners as commission agents, a waiver of value added tax on truck-lorry fares, and a clear gazette on truck-lorries that have passed an economic life of 25 years.
Currently, petrol pump owners receive a 3.45 per cent commission on the sale of diesel and 4.57 per cent on petrol and octane, association leaders said.
Earlier on August 27, the faction of the BPPOA, led by Syed Sazzadul Karim Kabul and Mizanur Rahman Ratan, president and secretary general respectively, announced the strike programme at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity.
Later, the owners' association met State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid. But no satisfactory solution was found.
For this, they have halted providing oil at all the petrol pumps till their demands are met.
However, the other faction of the BPPOA, led by Nazmul Haque and Mir Ahsan Uddin Parvez, president and acting secretary general respectively, in a press release informed that a meeting was held with State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid where the petrol pump owners were assured of implementing all demands of the organisation by September 30.
“So, the pump owners will continue their all business without any disruption including receiving petroleum oils from depots and transportation”, said the statement.
BDST: 1307 HRS, SEP 03, 2023
MN/SMS
