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Fuel traders and tanker lorry owners in Khulna began an eight-hour strike on Sunday morning to press home their 10-point demand, including an increase in fuel sales commission and a halt to direct fuel sales without dealership.
The strike, enforced by the Bangladesh Petrol Pump and Tank Lorry Owners Unity Council, began at 6:00 am and will continue until 2:00 pm, reports UNB.
As part of the protest, workers have suspended fuel extraction from the Padma, Meghna and Jamuna depots in Kashipur and Khalishpur, and have parked their tankers in front of the depots.
Fuel distribution, petrol pump operations and tanker movements have come to a halt in five districts of Khulna division and five districts in the greater Faridpur region due to the strike.
Leaders of the association claim they have repeatedly urged the authorities to increase their commission, but have yet to receive a response.
They argue that although fuel prices have risen, but commission rates remained unchanged. They are demanding a minimum 7 per cent commission per litre of fuel sold.
The leaders warned of launching an indefinite strike if their demands are not addressed promptly.
Their demands include retaining previous lease fees for land and roads managed by the Roads and Highways Department, automatic lease renewal upon submission of the required payment order, limiting BSTI’s role to calibration of dispensing units only while reinstating previous fees and abolishing underground tank calibration, dip rod testing fees, and mandatory registration.
They also demand exemption of petrol pumps from environmental, boiler, and fire service licensing—arguing that these establishments operate as commission-based businesses, not as industries.
Further demands include halting illegal fuel sales from unapproved, makeshift setups in homes and open spaces, prohibiting direct fuel sales by marketing companies without dealerships, simplifying the licensing and renewal process for tanker drivers to address shortages, ending arbitrary roadside checks, and ensuring document verification only at depot gates.
They also call for the issuance of inter-district route permits for all tanker lorries.
The traders have urged the government to resolve these issues to avoid further disruptions to the national fuel supply chain.