CNG station strike postponed

CNG refueling station owners have postponed their nonstop countrywide strike, scheduled to begin tomorrow, till August 24 in response to a government request.

Zakir Hossain Nayan, president of Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners’ Association, today said they postponed the strike following a request from the State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid Bipu.

The association leaders held a meeting with the state minister at his residence in the city from 12:00noon to 2:00pm today and agreed to postpone the strike.

The association had earlier announced the strike to realise their five-point demand.

Their demands are: raising CNG (compressed natural gas) price when power tariff is raised, enhancing station owners’ commission margin to Tk 2.98 from Tk 0.12 on the sale of per cubic metre of CNG, issuing 15 days’ gas bill instead of monthly bill by gas companies, putting forward the issue of new gas connection to 54 CNG refueling stations to a high-level committee, and taking measures to install EVC meters at CNG stations.

The association leaders said the state minister assured them of considering their demands and sending a proposal to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (Berc) to hold a public hearing on the demands.