Now profiting off oxygen

Two shops in Chattogram today were fined Tk 100,000 each by two separate mobile courts for selling oxygen cylinders at a high profit margin.

The irregularities were not only restricted to price-gouging activities, but one owner had even resorted to cooking his own books.

Omar Faruk, executive magistrate of Chattogram District Administration, told The Daily Star that M/S Brothers Engineers, a shop at Sadarghat area, was found charging an extra Tk 10,000 and Tk 15,000 for each cylinder.

They had even forged documents to explain the high profit. 

"We thoroughly examined the papers and found those to be fake. The shop has been fined Tk 100,000 for this," he said.

Another shop, Sahan Medico, which was selling oxygen cylinders, oximeters and other necessary items at a high mark-up was fined Tk 100,000 over the irregularities.

Here also, a Tk 5,000 cylinder was being sold for 10-15,000 more.  

They had been fined by district administration's Executive Magistrate Shirin Akther who had been conducting another drive at Chattogram Medical College area.  

Another shop there was fined Tk 20,000 for charging exorbitant prices for refilling oxygen cylinders, the official said.