DHAKA: Gas stations across the country went off for six hours Monday under a daily 3pm-9pm closure order amid fuel crunch as the owners hailed the government decision with a threat of movement if the embargo is not lifted after the Ramadan rush.

Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners’ Association Monday also issued letters to the country’s four gas- supplying companies seeking security for the stations during the six-hour closure lest they should come under wrath of fuel-hungry customers.

The four companies are Titas Gas and Transmission Company Ltd, Jalalabad Gas Company Ltd, Karnaphuli Gas Company Ltd and Bakhrabad Gas Company Ltd.

Zakir Hossain Nayan, general secretary of the association, said the government decided to keep the stations shut from 3pm to 9pm from Monday but did not give the date for return to regular business hours.

“We also demanded security for our stations from the authorities concerned fearing possible attack by the customers getting no service during the six-hour shutdown,” he said.

At the same time, they plan to go for movement if the decision is not withdrawn after Ramadan, he added.

The association leaders placed their demands at a meeting with Titas Gas authority on Monday noon.

After the meeting, Zakir also said, “We asked the MD of Titas Gas about the duration of the government decision, but he failed to reply. Initially, the decision was for keeping the stations shut in and around Dhaka, but later it was made applicable for all the 565 stations across the country.”

Leaders of the association, including its president Shafiul Islam Kamal and general secretary Zakir Hossain Nayan, attended the meeting.

In another development, Titas gas authorities intended to form a joint monitoring cell headed by Petrobangla director (operation and mine) Mollah Md Mobirul Hossain but did not get enough response from the owners’ side, sources said.

The owners, however, assured cooperating with the government in keeping the stations closed for the six hours during Ramadan, sources said.

On August 12, the government took the decision to keep the CNG-refueling stations closed for the period to increase power generation by gas-fired plants apart from keeping gas pressure normal for households.

BDST: 1657 HRS. AUGUST 16, 2010