Bangladesh CNG Station Owners Call Off Strike Amid National Gas Shortage
Photo Collected
The Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association has suspended its nationwide strike originally scheduled for July 30, citing the ongoing energy crisis triggered by a fire at a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.
The decision, announced at a press conference in Dhaka on Monday, follows a technical failure at one of two floating LNG terminals in Moheskhali, Cox’s Bazar, last Tuesday. With gas supplies already severely constrained across the country, association leaders stated they chose to withdraw the protest to avoid exacerbating public hardship and to support the government during the emergency.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Despite the withdrawal of the July 30 action, the association warned that its demand for higher sales commissions remains unresolved. If the government fails to address their grievances, members intend to initiate an indefinite nationwide shutdown of all CNG stations beginning August 23.
The association, which represents station owners, is calling for a commission increase from 8 taka to 13.96 taka per cubic meter of CNG. According to General Secretary Farhan Noor, the current rate—set on September 1, 2015—is no longer sustainable. Over the past 11 years, owners have faced significant increases in operational costs, including labor wages, equipment maintenance, banking fees, and land lease costs from the Roads and Highways Department.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Steering committee convener Amiruzzaman Chowdhury noted that while the industry has grappled with these financial burdens for years, previous rounds of dialogue with authorities have yielded only vague assurances rather than concrete solutions. Association leadership maintains that the requested adjustment is essential to keep the country’s filling stations operational in the face of rising inflation and overhead expenses.
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