Fuel price hike draws criticism

The government has presented the people with a New Year gift by increasing the fuel price, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday, adding that it would increase miseries in public life.
“The government has increased fuel price for the second time within two months. Prices of all products and transport fares will go up again due to the decision,” he said while addressing a discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh auditorium in the city.
The government increased prices of all types of fuel oils by Tk 5 from Thursday midnight.
Jatiyatabadi Krishok Dal, a front body of the BNP, organised the discussion on the occasion of its 33rd founding anniversary when its General Secretary Shamsuzzaman Dudu was present.
Fakhrul also made a blistering attack on the government, saying it has created an anarchic situation in the country through secret killings, torture and filing of false cases to eliminate the opposition.
The BNP leader said government is taking such strategies “only to stay in power”.
“The government has organised a dialogue by the president. We are going to attend the dialogue, as we believe in lawful movements and the formal way of handing over power. We will tell the president that no election would be allowed in the country without a non-party caretaker government,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bangladesher Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon MP and General Secretary Anisur Rahman Mallick in a joint statement the same day expressed their concerns over the hike in fuel price.
Citizens' platform Gonosanghati Andolon staged a demonstration in the city to protest the government decision.