Leaders of Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners Association at a press conference in Dhaka said they will stop trading of fuels across the country if the government does not fulfil their 12-point demands, which include hike in sales commission and compensation for operation loss due to storage leakage and evaporation.

Their other demands include setting up testing laboratory in depots to stop fuel adulteration, formulating a specific guideline to set up petrol pumps and CNG stations and issuing arms licence to pump owners.

The petrol pump owners said they had been pressing the government to meet the demands since 2000.

They will not buy fuels from the government depots after the August 28 deadline, the association leaders said.

Only in the last year, the petrol pumps traders reported 1,100 incidents of attacks on petrol pumps. So, it is very important to issue them arms licence for their safety, said Mohammad Nazmul Hoque, president of Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners Association.

Usually, the demand for petroleum fuels rises by 10 percent every year, but the demand rose by 18 percent last year. The extra eight percent fuels were smuggled to India through the border areas, as prices of fuel in the neighbouring country are double compared to Bangladesh, he said.

In the last few years, petrol pumps mushroomed in the border areas, although plying of vehicles was very low there, he said. Besides, they show a huge sale. Actually, they smuggle the precious fuel to India, Hoque added.

The petrol pump owners are blamed for fuel adulteration without any proof. However, the traders have been alleging for a long time that the government depots distribute adulterated petroleum fuels, he added. "Until now, no action has been taken in this regard."

The association leader also urged the government to immediately establish nine vigilance teams proposed earlier to rein in fuel adulteration and ensure quality control of petroleum fuels.

Mizanur Rahman, secretary general, and Jayed Ahmed, joint secretary general of the association, among others, were present at the conference.