The ministry may cancel licences of the petrol pump owners who will resort to strike as a weapon for meeting their demand, sources at a high level meeting attended by Energy Adviser Mahmudur Rahman, the communications secretary and the commerce secretary said.

The petrol pump owners and distributors earlier threatened to stop buying petroleum products from the government from May 8 if the latter fail to fulfil some of their demands by May 07.

Meanwhile, the energy ministry has called a meeting with the petrol pump owners today to discuss the problem.

Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners Association may withdraw their ultimatum for strike if the government resolve the problem through discussion, association President Nazmul Haque said.

About the energy ministry's move to take action against the petrol pump owners, he said the government has resorted to a policy of repression.

Rather than demanding any raise in commission, the petrol pump owners and distributors demanded fulfilment of government promise to pay the transportation charges and meeting other demands aiming at bringing transparency in the sector.

Urging making public the real picture of petroleum demand and supply, he said, "Against the per day capacity of 27,000 litres, we are getting only 11,000 to 13,000 litres. Besides, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation has also stopped supply of fuel on Fridays as part of the rationing. So the government should inform the people about the shortfall of fuel supply."