The High Court yesterday issued a rule asking the government to explain in a week why it should not be directed to re-fix the tariff of petroleum products including kerosene and diesel as per relevant provisions of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Act, 2013.

In the rule, the court also asked the respondents to show the causes why the inaction of the BERC chairman to finalise three rules and provisions made in 2012 regarding fixing the prices of petroleum products through gazette notification should not be declared illegal.

The senior secretary at the ministry of energy and mineral resources, BERC chairman and other officials concerned have been made respondents to the rule.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah came up with the rule following a writ petition filed by the Consumer Association of Bangladesh on November 14 seeking necessary directives on the respondents over this issue.

Lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Nawroz MR Chowdhury and Assistant Attorney General Golam Sarwar Payel represented the state during the hearing of the petition.