& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Fuel station strike called off on govt assurance

25 hurt in Khulna clash

Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents and Petrol Pump Owners Association withdrew its strike yesterday while in Khulna a clash between police and the strikers left at least 25 people injured.
The Indefinite strike, which took effectyesterday morning, was called off following a meeting with the government in the afternoon the sameday.
Earlier on August 31, the associations announced to stop buying fuel from the government depots if their 12-point demand was not met by September 27. In line with the announcement, they went on strike yesterday.
Invited by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), the association leaders yesterday had a daylong meeting with Energy Ministry Adviser Mahmudur Ralunan and Ch airman of UPC.
Terming the meeting fruitful, President of the petrol pump owners association Mohammad Nazmul Haque said, "Energy adviser and BPC chairman have acknowledged the logical ground of our program. We have withdrawn the strike on having assurance from the government".
"Tlie government has requested us to call off die strike, as they said it will cause immense sufferings to die people," he added.
SEE PAGE IS COL 6 . FROM PAGE 1
At the meeting, the government announced that the petroleum dealers will be allowed to make payment within a 48-hour [after buying] timeframe till November 15.The association had decided not to invest money in buying fuel from the government depots, 'incurring huge loss' in ihsilm a!..'.,.
HesiT •i.m.'iylit-memlvr-- mu tee was formed during the meeting. Asked to submit its retHirt by October 30. the committee will be headed by BPC Director (marketing) and comprise among others Energy Ministry officials anti president of the association.
"It [committee] will consider our demand for upping the sales commission to 5 percent from the existing 2 percent." Nazmul Haque said.
On November 15. the energy secretary will sit down with the dealers to solve all the outstanding issues, he said, adding that till then "the government will supply us with fuel on condition that we will make the payment within the next 48 hours."
Meanwhile, car and transport owners had started stockpiling fuel since the day beforeyesterday, learning about thesirike.The fuel pumps under the association yesterday kept their businesses shut, much to the inconvenience of the vehicleowners.
Rvo factions of the association, however, did businesses as usual, lesseningthemiseryofthepeople.
Petrol pump owners' I2-point demand includes among others a hike in sales commission and compensation for operational loss due to storage leakage and evaporationofpetroleum fuel
Setting up a monitoring conunittee, issuing licences for light firearm for the petrol pump owners, establishing testing labs in the government oil depots to prevent fuel adulteration and framing a guideline to establish petrol pumps and CNG stations were also someothermajordemands.
Our Khulna Correspondent adds: At least 25 people were injured, two of them severely, when police clubbed leaders and supporters of Khulna unit of petroleum dealers and tank lorry owners and workers co-ordination action committee.
Thirteen people were picked up from the scene for damaging tank lorries and creating chaos in front of petrol pumps. But later they were released as the leaders of the association kept refiising to begin negotiations with the energy ministry if the 13 are hot freed.
"Police released them after the energy secretary had intervened." Nazmul Haque said in Dliaka.
Convenor of the action committee and Jatiya Party leader Abdul Gaffar Biswas was among the injured in the Khulna incident. Mizan, 40, and Milon, 25. were admitted to Khulna Medical College and Hospital in critical condition.
The clash broke out when strikers were demonstrating in fro nt of Jamuna Oil Depot at Knalishpur. Police launched the attack without any provocation. said witnesses.
Police said the supporters of strike programme vandalised four tank tomes, entering the oil depot at 8:30am yesterday.
Tight security measures were taken in all petrol pumps in the city.
Talking toThe Daily Star, the energy ministry adviser said the strike had resulted from communication gap between the government and the petrolnumpowners.
Referring to the formation of the committee during yesterday’s meeting ' with the striking dealers, lie said it was formed long before the strike was called. It has been tasked withmonitor-ing fuel smuggling and leakage as well as looking into the petrol pump owners' demands.
"Their strike was not successful as 90 percent of the petrol pumps across the country went about their businesses." headded.