Left-leaning parties slam gas tariff hike

The left-leaning political parties today came down heavily on the government for hiking the gas price for retail consumers with effect from tomorrow.

“The gas price has been hiked to put the government’s burden of corruption and looting on the general people,” Left Democratic Alliance (LDA) said in a press statement

LDA also called upon the government to scrap the decision of the gas price hike.

The energy regulator has decided to increase gas price by 32.8 per cent for all users from July 1. The price of the single burner will rise to Tk 925 per month from Tk 750 while the price of the double burner will rise to Tk 975 from Tk 800.

Terming the decision as anti-people, the left-leaning political party called upon all progressive, patriotic political parties, social and cultural organisations and professionals to forge a collective movement against the decision.

Meanwhile, Khaliquzzaman, general secretary of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD), in a separate statement, termed the government move to hike the gas price “illogical and illegal”.

He also condemned the government for this decision urged it to repeal the anti-people decision immediately.

In the statement, the veteran communist leader said, “The people will not take the liability of the wrong policy, corruption and looting of the government.”

He said if any state-run institution is profitable, the tariff cannot be hiked in any circumstances.

“We are observing that Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission is supporting the looting spree and the wrong policy of the government distancing itself from the people’s interest and its legal stance,” he said.

He said that the people would not accept the government’s decision of hiking the gas tariff.