After last week's visit by a consultant team from Asian Development Bank (ADB) at four SoEs in Chittagong, Bangladesh Oil, Gas, Road and River Transport Workers and Employees Council started agitating against the move.

The four-member team visited Standard Asiatic Oil Company Ltd (SAOCL), Eastern Lubricant and Blending Ltd, LP Gas Ltd (LPGL) and Padma Oil Company Ltd during January 12-13 to recommend for their privatisation.

"Privatisation Commission would take decision in this regard after reviewing the recommendations of the consultant team," said BPC Secretary Taherul Islam when asked about the progress of the privatisation move.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Oil, Gas, Road and River Transport Workers and Employees Council announced that they would go for tough movement, including non-stop hartal, in February if the government does not cancel the move.

The Council at a press conference at Chittagong Press Club on Saturday also threatened to paralyse the oil sector. Council's Joint Convenor Jane Alam read out a written statement at the conference also attended by Convenor Hazi Eakub Ali.

As part of their agitation programmes, the Council yesterday started holding protest rallies and bringing out processions at different installations of the oil sector, including oil depots and terminals across the country.

"We will not accept the decision for privatisation of the oil companies," said Bangladesh Oil and Gas Workers' Federation President Taher Ahmad. "We will launch united movement to resist implementation of such a decision."

Some top officials of the enterprises concerned also expressed similar sentiment. When asked, they said such enterprises should remain under the control of the government to ensure quality of petroleum products and check price fluctuation.

State owned enterprises never compromised the quality of petroleum products, which should not be expected from private companies, an official said.

Besides, due to the privatisation of BPC enterprises, the price of petroleum products might go beyond the control resulting in frequent price fluctuations like that now taking place in the edible oil sector, he said.