Petrol pump owners end protest after meeting with BPC officials

Petrol pump owners have ended their protest following an assurance from the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) officials.

As part of their protest, Bangladesh Petrol Pump and Tank Lorry Owners Oikko Parishad enforced an eight-hour strike at 6:00am today to press home a 10-point demand.

Among their key demands, the petrol pump owners are seeking a minimum 7 percent hike in commission on fuel sales, as well as a reduction in the lease fees for land under the Roads and Highways Division.

Around 2:00pm, they ended the protest programme after a meeting with the BPC officials.

Later, Nazmul Haq, president of Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners' Association, told media that the BPC has assured them of resolving the issue of their commission within the next 15 working days.

In addition, they have set an ultimatum to the BPC to fulfil their other demands within the next two months.

"If that doesn't happen, we will go for further strikes," he told reporters at the BPC office.

The demands include cancellation of registration requirements from the Department of Environment, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, and the fire service, as petrol pumps are not classified as industrial establishments; simplification of lease renewal processes for access roads connected to petrol pumps; restriction of BSTI's role to only inspecting, stamping, and verifying the dispensing units and measurements, without overreaching its mandate; immediate action against unauthorised fuel sales at unlicenced outlets across the country; a ban on halting tank lorries on highways under the pretext of document checks.