Fuel price hike draws criticism

The price display on a fuel dispenser at a filling station in the capital shows the new prices of petrol and octane -- Tk 86 and Tk 89 respectively. The photo was taken yesterday.Photo: STAR

Leaders of different political parties including the main opposition BNP yesterday slammed the government for raising oil prices saying the move will worsen public sufferings.
The government has been increasing oil prices frequently and has done this again as it has no responsibility for the people, acting secretary general of BNP Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told a protest rally in front of the party's central office in Nayapaltan in the city.
Jatiyatabadi Swechchasebok Dal, a front organisation of BNP, hosted the programme demanding release of party's Narsingdi district unit president Khairul Kabir Khokon. Police arrested him following the murder of Narsingdi municipality mayor Lokman Hossain.
Referring to a recent comment made by the finance minister about increasing the price of CNG to sell it at the same price of diesel, Mirza Alamgir said the government wants to pollute the country's environment.
Admitting that the decision will have an impact on public life, Jatiya Party presidium member Anisul Islam Mahmud said the government had no alternative as it has been giving a huge subsidy in the energy sector.
Jamaat-e-Islami acting secretary general Shafiqur Rahman in a statement urged the government to withdraw the decision. “Hiking oil prices is an illogical and wrong decision. It will only compound the miseries in public life.”
In another statement, Workers Party of Bangladesh President Rashed Khan Menon and General Secretary Anisur Rahman Mallik expressed concern over hiking of oil prices. They termed the decision “absolutely illogical” and asked the government to cancel it.
National Democratic Front also protested the move saying the government is taking anti-people decisions one after another, which is totally unacceptable.
Some ruling Awami League leaders, though, blamed the international market for raising the prices.
“If the international prices of oil go down today, we will cut the prices immediately,” Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, also a presidium member of AL, told The Daily Star.