Bhola
Retailers hike diesel price over high demand
Our Correspondent
Price hike of fuel by retailers has been causing sufferings to fishermen and farmers in Bhola district over the past two weeks. A fuel seller Nagor Mia of Bhola town said it is the peak time for fishing and the fishermen need diesel to run their trawlers while farmers need it for tilling their lands. Kamrul Islam, president of Bhola Retail Fuel Traders Association and Enayet Ullah, president of Fuel Traders Samity of Charfassion said without governments approval the fuel suppliers of Barisal increased the fuel price. According to sources, fuel suppliers of Barisal and Jhalakhati have increased the prices of diesel, petrol and octane beyond the government approved rates.
There is no fuel supply station of Petrobangla in Bhola. The agents of the state-owned oil and gas corporation in Barisal and Jhalakhati supply the fuel in the district, sources added. Local diesel traders alleged that the suppliers increased the price of diesel from Tk 200 to Tk 300 per barrel. Besides, they have supplied only 195 litres of fuel instead of 200 litres in a barrel. This has forced the retail traders to hike the prices. The sources said each litre of diesel is selling at Tk 70 to Tk 75 against the government rate of Tk 68 and per litre petrol is selling at Tk 105 against the government rate of Tk 98 in the open market. Fuel traders in Bhola said that they are hostage to the suppliers of Barisal and Jhalakhati as there is no agent of Petrobangla there. There is need for about 2 lakh litres of diesel and petrol in Bhola every year. They have the authorities to set up a fuel supply station in Bhola. Selim Reza, Deputy Commissioner of Bhola, said action will be taken after investigation of the matter as the government has not raised the prices of fuel.
