Sept 5 BCL Attack for Illegal Toll
Filling stations in Sylhet division on strike
This CNG filling station at South Surma of Sylhet city remains closed. CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners' Association began an indefinite strike in Sylhet division yesterday demanding arrest of the BCL men who vandalised a filling station in the city's Shibganj area on the night of September 5.Photo: STAR
The Sylhet divisional chapter of CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners' Association yesterday started an indefinite strike in the division demanding immediate arrest of the BCL men who vandalised a CNG filling station in the city's Shibganj area on September 5. The divisional chapter of Petroleum Dealers, Agents and Distributors' Association and Tank Lorry Owners' Association also joined the strike. Abdul Hasib Bhuiyan, managing director of the CNG filling station, Surma Auto-Care Limited, alleged that a group of BCL men led by district unit president Selim Chowdhury entered the filling station at around 8:00pm and demanded Tk five lakh from the staff. As they refused to oblige, the BCL activists vandalised the station, he said. Abdul Hasib filed a case with Shah Paran Police Station the same night, accusing Selim Chowdhury and 13 other BCL men. Police could not arrest any of the accused as of yesterday. Zobayer Ahmed Chowdhury, president of Petroleum Dealers, Agents and Distributors' Association, told this correspondent yesterday that they also joined the strike protesting the attack on Surma Auto-Care Limited. He said the attackers are putting pressure on the owners of the filing station to withdraw the case. Faizur Rashman, president of CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners' Association, alleged that a group of BCL men came to his house twice on Monday and threatened him with dire consequences if they failed to take immediate steps to withdraw the case. He lodged a general diary (GD) with Shah Paran Police Station the same day. The district administration sat with the leaders of the two associations on Monday evening to settle the issue. But the meeting failed to yield any positive results. “We could not reach a settlement at the meeting as the authorities concerned failed to take action against the attackers,” said Zobayer Ahmed Chowdhury, president of Petroleum Dealers, Agents and Distributors' Association.
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