A faction of fuel oil traders went on a strike at petrol pumps across the country from today (September 3) to press home their 3-point demand.

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: 0911 HRS, SEP 03, 2023
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