Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) will demonstrate across the country today in protest against the latest hike in price of gas and electricity, which is due to take effect in September.
Describing Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission as a puppet of the government, leftist leaders announced demonstrations while addressing a joint protest rally held in front of the National Press Club yesterday.
They said the government would be forced to scrap the decision to increase gas and electricity tariff in the face of protests.
“The decision to hike gas and power prices has totally been an undemocratic act of the government. It is a decision that is completely against the interests of the masses,” said BSD General Secretary Khalequzzaman.
He said the CPB and the BSD had requested the energy regulator to hold a public hearing for reducing energy prices in the wake of the fall in prices in the global market.
“But the regulator has implemented the government’s decision, raising energy prices. This proves how it chose not to care about people’s interests and serve the government instead.”
Leftist leaders said the government had raised prices in the local market even though fuel price in the international market went down.
They observed that the government increased prices to satisfy foreign organisations like the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank but it would be the local industries and the people who would bear the brunt of the price hike.