CNG filling stations in Sylhet have gone an indefinite strike in protest against the attack on a CNG filling station in the city.
Over 150 petrol pumps and gas stations in the entire eastern division have stopped services from Tuesday morning, said Bangladesh CNG Filling Station Owners Association’s Sylhet chapter General Secretary Amiruzzaman Chowdhury.
The strike is in protest against the attack on and looting of a CNG re-fuelling station at South Surma, in Sylhet.
Chowdhury said an altercation had started between Nazir Mia, head of a microbus owners’ platform at the city’s Naiorpul, and the filling station staff when Mia tried jump the queue to fill his car.
“Later, Nazir Mia’s associates attacked the South Surman CNG and Petroleum Filling Station. They vandalised it and made away with Tk 400,000 from the cash register,” he said.
Chowdhury claimed that the attack was carried out at the behest of Sylhet District Transport Workers’ Union President Salim Ahmed Falik.
He said that police advised not to level charges against Falik while filing a complaint. “The strike will continue until the attackers are arrested.”
Police said that Falik was not present on the scene, but the case initiated by the CNG filling station owner named him.
“Owners were advised not to bring charges against Falik, but they did not agree and called the strike,” said South Surma Police OC Ataur Rahman.