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Unauthorised petrol sale continues in Nilphamari

The govt restriction to contain fire bomb making proves futile

EAM Asaduzzaman, Nilphamari
Indiscriminate sale and use of petrol, octane and diesel is going on across the district although the government has imposed ban on such unauthorised sale to prevent subversive activities by using petrol bombs in the name of blockade and hartal across the country.
With easy availability of the liquid combustibles, criminals make fire bombs with the items and hurl those at vehicles on roads and highways, often causing serious casualties.
In neighbouring Gaibandha district, nine people were killed including women and children as petrol bombs were thrown on a passenger carrying bus atTulshighat on Friday night.
They are among dozens of people, mostly bus passengers and drivers of buses and trucks in different areas of the country, who were burnt to death by fire bombs.
There are 28 authorised filling stations in the district along with 14 license holder dealers in six upazilas of the district to sell petrol, diesel and octane to genuine buyers, district administration sources said.
But the fuels are being sold at around 500-600 unauthorised shops standing beside highways, village roads, intersections, and bazaars.
However, the district and upazila administrations do not have any list of the names of such unauthorised fuel sellers.
Visiting different areas of
the district on Monday, this correspondent saw illegal petrol, octane and diesel selling shops at roadside markets of different places including Duhuli, Babrijhar, Jadurhat, Ramganj, Poolhat and Bhabaniganj in Sadar upazila, and Mirganj, Shimulbari, Koimari, Golmunda and Balagram in Jaldhaka.
Many grocers illegally sell petrol, octane and diesel along with other household commodities.
Similar situations prevail in Domar, Dimla, Kishoreganj and Saidpur upazilas under Nilphamari districts.
A number of fuel shop owners seeking anonymity said they do not know that license is required to sell petrol, diesel and octane
and there is a government ban on unauthorised sale of the fuels.
They said they still procure the fuels from nearby petrol pumps or dealers with lucrative commission.
Contacted, Shamsul Islam, owner of Huque Filling Station in the district, said they had already stopped sale of petrol and octane to unauthorised sellers as soon as the government imposed the restriction.
Nilphamari Deputy Commissioner Zakir Hossain said, "Sale of fuel by unlicensed people is strictly banned. Along with mobile court drives against such unlicensed traders, we are now conducting awareness building programmes among people."