The Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association has demanded to reduce the price of gas in the restaurant industry if necessary, not to increase the price. The organization has also raised five demands from the government to keep the industry afloat.

Last Monday, the president of the organization. Osman Gani and the first joint secretary-general. They made the demand in a press release signed by Feroz Alam.
The organization says that after 2015, the companies have increased the price of gas at a compounded rate in three phases. Following this, the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission organized a public hearing on March 23. There has been another 118 percent increase in gas prices, which is completely unreasonable.
The five-point demand submitted by the company to the government alleges that the restaurant industry was not included in the list of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSIC). Apart from this, the restaurant traders have also sought the benefit of increasing the gas pressure and shifting the allotted gas connection elsewhere.

Demanding a reduction in gas prices, the restaurant owners’ association said it was a service sector involved in serving food to the general public. If the price of gas goes up as there are no elite restaurants, no one will come to eat at these restaurants. That will hurt the traders.

On the other hand, elite restaurant traders are getting various benefits including lowering gas bills. But ordinary restaurant traders have to pay gas bills at high commercial rates. The leaders of the restaurant association said that this is not reasonable at all.

The company says that if illegal gas connections are cut off in Dhaka city and its environs, there will be no need to increase gas prices. In addition, the gas companies have been exaggerating since 2014 by suspending new connections, increasing pressure, and shifting connections. As a result, restaurant traders are facing losses. They requested to consider the issue of establishing a new connection again by amending the policy of 2014.

The Restaurant Owners’ Association has demanded that the government deposit the money deposited by restaurant traders in the Titas Gas Office as FDR (Fixed Deposit).