Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir has demanded the withdrawal of the decision to raise the price of fuel oil by 20 taka a litre. The organisation’s central president Nurul Islam and secretary general Sibgatullah made the demand in a joint statement on Monday (September 21).
In the statement they said fuel oil prices had been raised for the third time in the seven months since the present government took office in February. Before this, the price of diesel was raised by 15 taka a litre on April 18, and the prices of petrol and octane by 5 taka each in June.
Most recently, the prices of diesel, kerosene, petrol and octane have each been raised by 20 taka a litre with effect from September 21.
The Shibir leaders said raising fuel oil prices amid rising commodity prices would increase ordinary people’s costs further. It would tell in particular on the balance of income and spending for lower and middle income people.
They also said in the statement that repeatedly raising fuel oil prices while citing instability in the international market cannot be a policy for the public good.
They alleged that the government had been unable to take effective measures against internal irregularities, corruption and mismanagement at Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, or to control the syndicate in the energy sector.
The Shibir leaders said the burden of the government’s own policy and management failures should not be placed on the public. They demanded that the increased prices be withdrawn immediately and fuel oil prices brought to a tolerable level.
They added in the statement that if the government does not withdraw the increased prices quickly, a movement will be built up together with the student community and ordinary people.