Petrol pump owners in Northern region call off strike after govt assurance
Refueling stations shut in Rajshahi, Rangpur divisions protesting eviction drives without notice
Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents and Petrol Pump Owners Association has called off their strike after holding a meeting with Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) chairman in the capital around 1:30pm today (5 February).
Confirming the matter, President and Secretary General of the Association Mizanur Rahman Ratan told The Business Standard that they stepped back from their strike after getting assured by BPC chairman Md Amin Ul Ahsan.
The strike, organised by the Rajshahi Division's Petrol Pump Owners-Workers Unity Council, was in response to an eviction drive carried out by the Roads and Highways Department without prior notice.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The abrupt fuel supply disruption severely impacted transportation, leaving many vehicles stranded, particularly motorcyclists who were unaware of the strike. Only those who stocked up on fuel in advance were able to continue their commute.
The strike was announced yesterday (4 February) in a statement, signed by Md Mizanur Rahman Ratan, president of Rajshahi unit of Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents, and Petrol Pump Owners Association, and Md Abdul Jalil, general secretary of the organisation.
The statement condemned the unexpected eviction of two petrol pumps in Santahar, Naogaon, by the Roads and Highways Department, calling it an "unjust and unreasonable" move that has left petrol pump owners frustrated and tense.
Monimul Haque, president of the Rajshahi District Petrol Pump Owners Association, expressed concerns over the sudden eviction, saying, "We lease small portions of government land in front of our pumps to accommodate large vehicles. Without any prior notice, they launched an eviction drive, putting our businesses at risk."
The strike has caused significant inconvenience to daily commuters. Enayet Rahman, a motorcyclist, said, "I had no idea about the strike. When I came to refuel, I found all pumps closed. Without fuel, how are we supposed to travel?"
With no immediate resolution in sight, the strike continues to disrupt transportation and fuel supply across the northern region.
The President of the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents, and Petrol Pump Owners Association, and the General Secretary of the Central Association, Mizanur Rahman Ratan, told The Business Standard that the Roads and Highways Department carried out an eviction drive using bulldozers at two petrol pumps in Santahar yesterday without any prior notice.
In protest, petrol pump owners in the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions have gone on strike. He further stated that they have had various demands over time, particularly regarding the exorbitant fee increase—40 times higher—for entry and exit from petrol pumps on highways, as per a recently published gazette by the Roads and Highways Department. Petrol pump owners have been dissatisfied with this unreasonable fee hike as well.
A meeting is scheduled in the evening with the chairman of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to discuss these issues. He expressed hope that a logical solution would be reached during the meeting.
