Fuel fillers go on strike today

As the filling station owners go on indefinite strike from today, the government has said they would face up to three years in prison if they refuse to serve customers.

The government yesterday declared petroleum products essential under the Essential Commodity Act (ECA) that provides for the punishment after talks with the Petrol Pump Owners Association fell through yesterday.

The owners refused to withdraw their demand for compensation for evaporation and operational cost from the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC). The government has termed the demand "unreasonable".

"The government has already increased their commissions," State Minister for Energy and Resources AKM Mosharraf Hossain told The Daily Star last night.

"The commission hike would cost the government an additional Tk 47 crore every year. We cannot offer more than that."

Commission on depot prices of octane and petrol has been refixed at 1.9 per cent and diesel at 2.06 per cent since January 8. The association says the commission hike is nominal.

As the association stuck to its position, the government had little choice other than declaring petroleum as essential goods, the state minister said. "The decision would be implemented tomorrow (Thursday) through a gazette notification. We have already put the police and the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) on alert for any untoward incident."

The association, however, said it was still open to fresh negotiations.

"We cannot do anything if a democratic government takes such a decision," Organising Secretary of the Petrol Pump Owners Association Nazmul Haque said. "We will hold a meeting among ourselves again and decide on the next course of action."

"We cannot provide services to people by spending our own money."

Meanwhile, most of the filling stations in the city pulled the shutters down from last night. But the government depots would remain open, said the state minister.

Earlier at the talks, the state minister asked the association leaders to form a committee, comprising representatives from petroleum agents and dealers, and the energy ministry, for evaluation of their demand. The leaders turned down the minister's offer and stuck to their strike decision.

Mosharraf Hossain said with law enforcers in action, petroleum dealers would be compelled to supply gasoline to customers. "If they don't, the police and the BDR would take action against them."

Meanwhile, our Rajshahi correspondent reports that people in Rajshahi and its adjacent areas were still facing an artificial fuel crisis, especially kerosene.

Kerosene is now selling between Tk 22 and Tk 25 per litre in Rajshahi, Natore and Naogaon.

At many rural areas, the price is learnt to have risen up to Tk 28 per litre. Many kerosene traders of Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj returned yesterday evening after failing to collect kerosene from two depots in Harian and Natore.