Protests on against gas price hike
The Left Democratic Alliance on Monday called a half-day countrywide hartal on July 7 protesting against government’s decision of gas price hike.
The LDA, a combine of seven left-leaning political parties, will observe the total strike between 6:00am and 2:00pm.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the central steering committee of the LDA at the Socialist Party of Bangladesh central office in Dhaka on Monday, which was chaired by alliance coordinator Bazlur Rashid Firoj. Senior LDA leaders attended the meeting.
The LDA leaders said that they called the total shutdown protesting against the gas price hike ignoring people’s interest, the 2019-20 budget which would increase sufferings of the people, and demanding reduction in cylinder gas price.
Firoj told New Age that the LDA would hold a press conference today at the Communist Party of Bangladesh central office on the issue.
Meanwhile, different political parties, mostly left-leaning ones, on Monday continued their protest rallies in front of the National Press Club, demanding withdrawal of the gas price hike and extending their support to the hartal.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh sets off a procession in Dhaka on Monday in protest against gas price hike. — New Age photo
The central executive committee of the Ganasamhati Andolan, Dhaka committee of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Dhaka city committee of the Workers Party of Bangladesh and the Islami Juba Andolan held separate protest rallies in the same venue.
Jahangirnagar University teacher and member-secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resource, Power and Ports Professor Anu Muhammad at a protest rally in front of the National Press Club termed the gas price hike unacceptable.
‘The wrong policy of the government is responsible for the price hike,’ Anu said. He extended solidarity to the shutdown.
LDA Dhaka city unit president Zulfikar Ali chaired the rally, which was followed by a protest procession.
The Dhaka city unit of the alliance’s national committee organised the rally.
Ganasanghati chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said that the gas price hike would increase the sufferings of the people and called on the government to withdraw the decision immediately.
Central leaders of the party Firoj Ahmed, Abul Ahsan Rubel, Taslima Akther and others spoke at the rally, followed by a protest procession that paraded different city roads.
CPB general secretary Mohammad Shahe Alam called on the government to withdraw the price hike of gas, otherwise, the left parties would compel the government to do so by waging tougher movements.
The rally was followed by a protest procission.
The Dhaka city unit of the Workers Party, a partner of the Awami League-led alliance, also termed the decision unjustified.
Quamrul Ahsan, politbureau member of the party, also said that the price hike would increase the sufferings of the people. WP city president Abul Hossain and general secretary Kishore Roy also spoke.
Hasanul Haq Inu, president of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, a partner in the Awami League-led alliance, and Krishak Sramik Janata League president Abdul Kader Siddiqui in separate statements termed the price hike unreasonable and that the decision would increase the people’s sufferings.
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission on Sunday increased the gas price by 32.8 per cent on an average for all consumers with effect from July 1 ignoring opposition from all sections of the people.
The BERC claimed that the price had to be increased as the country’s gas generation, distribution and transmission companies called for it because of a rise in the gas production cost due to import of liquefied natural gas.
The price of a cubic metre of gas has been increased to Tk 9.80 from Tk 7.38 while the charge of using a single burner stove has been increased to Tk 925 per month from Tk 750 and double burner to Tk 975 per month from Tk 800.
The decision will directly affect 43.10 lakh consumers of gas, including 42.81 household connection users.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
