Sylhet: Petrol pump owners in Sylhet on Tuesday warned they would stop withdrawing fuel from depots unless the government revises the recently introduced marketing policy. The announcement was made at an emergency press conference by the Sylhet division branch of the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents and Petrol Pump Owners Association.
According to United News of Bangladesh, owners highlighted an increase in attacks on pump employees, citing a recent incident where a worker was stabbed at a pump in Sylhet city. The injured employee is currently receiving medical treatment. The association leaders emphasized the difficulty of serving thousands of customers while observing fasting if safety is not ensured. As a form of protest, pump workers staged a half-day work stoppage on Tuesday, though fuel sales resumed later at depots with existing stock.
The owners criticized the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) for the new marketing policy that reduces depot supplies to 25 percent below the average fuel withdrawn by each pump from March to June last year. They argued that the actual number of working days is lower, resulting in insufficient fuel to meet customer demand. Despite Sylhet producing a significant amount of petrol and octane from local gas field condensate, the policy has disrupted distribution, sometimes leading to conflicts between customers and pump staff.
The association insisted they are not involved in hoarding or price manipulation and urged the BPC to revise the policy to ensure fuel distribution through state-owned companies Padma, Meghna, and Jamuna based on local realities. They reported that daily demand in the Sylhet division is about 8-10 lakh liters of diesel, 2 lakh liters of petrol, and 1.5 lakh liters of octane, but current supply falls far short. The issue has been formally submitted to the district administration, with discussions planned with the commerce minister.
The press conference was chaired by Barister Riyasad Azim Adnan, acting president of the Sylhet branch, alongside other association leaders. The protest followed a stabbing incident on Monday evening at Uttara Petroleum Pump, Choukidekhi, Sylhet, where customer frustration over fuel shortages resulted in a worker being seriously injured and hospitalized at Osmani Medical College Hospital.