Speakers at a protest rally of the Communist Party of Bangladesh yesterday said that the hike of gas and power prices came as an electric shock for the people of the country.
“This is noting but an electric shock to the people,” said eminent columnist Syed Abul Maksud while addressing the rally of left party alliance at Paltan of the city. It was organised by the CPB in protest against the government decision to raise the gas price and power tariff.
Maksud said the power production cost has come down due to the decline in fuel price on the global market. So, there is no valid reason to increase the power and gas prices. "Actually the government has given an electric shock to the 16 crore people of the country,” he said adding, this decision is not only illogical or unacceptable, but also anti-people one.
CPB General Secretary Syed Abu Zafar Ahmed said the Awami League government does not need votes to get elected. That is why they never care about peoples’ opinion to raise the prices.
He alleged that the government is trying to cling to the power through protecting the interest of agencies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
CPB leader Ruhin Hossain Prince said the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has been losing its credibility by implementing the government's decisions.