CNG filling stations will go on an indefinite strike across the country on Friday protesting the harassment and extortion by a mobile court in a filling station in Sylhet.
Announcing the decision, Zakir Hossain Nayan, president of Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association, said they won’t sell gas from 6am on Friday morning until action is taken against executive magistrate Abdul Hai. Their strike is also meant for protesting the three-time hike in power tariff.
A mobile court, led by Petrobangla executive magistrate Abdul Hai, conducted a drive at Bengal Filling Station and Conversion Centre, owned by city BNP president MA Haque, at Sobhanighat in Sylhet city around 11 am.
An altercation ensued between mobile court members and the petrol pump authorities when it wanted to see the pump’s last fiver year’s balance.
At one stage, the mobile court members ransacked documents at the filling station office, vandalised two chairs and fined it Tk 5 lakh.
However, the station employees claimed that the magistrate demanded Tk 5 lakh as bribe during the drive.
Protesting the incident, the Sylhet Division Petrol Pump Owners’ Association went on an indefinite strike at the petrol pumps and CNG filling stations in Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj and Sunamganj districts under the division on Thursday. Later, Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association announced the countrywide strike protesting the incident.
-with The Independent input
