Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, BNP’s acting secretary general and adviser to the prime minister on political affairs and the industries ministry, has claimed that the government is still losing about 70 taka on every litre of diesel sold, even after the adjustment of fuel oil prices.
He made the claim on Tuesday at a discussion meeting titled The role of government and opposition in establishing a democratic state, organised by the Nationalist Like-Minded Alliance in the Zahur Hossain Chowdhury hall of the National Press Club.
Rizvi said that with fuel oil prices rising on the international market, it had cost the government about 205 taka to buy a litre of diesel. Yet for a long time diesel was sold in the country at 115 taka a litre. That meant a loss to the government of about 90 taka a litre.
Noting that the loss had not been fully covered even though the price of diesel was recently adjusted by 20 taka, he said the government is still losing about 70 taka on every litre of diesel sold.
A comparison of prices in other countries
Setting out diesel prices in various countries during the discussion, Rizvi said a litre of diesel costs about 161 taka in Nepal, about 164 taka in Myanmar, 179 taka 42 paisa in Sri Lanka and 188 taka 50 paisa in the Philippines. He said the price of a litre of diesel in India is also more than 134 taka.
In Rizvi’s account, diesel was sold in Bangladesh at 115 taka for a long time even while fuel oil prices were rising on the international market. Although the price was later raised by 20 taka, the government’s loss remains.
A call for programmes against sabotage
Raising the matter of buses and trains set alight and cocktail explosions in various parts of the country, Rizvi said buses had been set on fire in the Madhya Badda, Uttara, Mirpur and Kafrul areas, trains had been set alight, and cocktails had exploded in front of the main gates of the High Court and a university.
He also claimed that these incidents are connected with political activity. At the same time he called on those carrying out the long march against rising commodity prices, extortion and corruption to hold programmes against these incidents as well.
Raising the vandalism at Rajshahi railway station, he said to Jamaat that alongside programmes against rising commodity prices, extortion and corruption, they ought also to hold protest meetings and demonstrations against planned terrorism.
He added that Jamaat has no role in movements connected with the public interest. Because of their deception of the public, he remarked, they have never been able to win the public’s confidence at the decisive stage.
Others who spoke at the meeting included the prime minister’s special political assistant Rashed Khan, the Nationalist Like-Minded Alliance’s chief coordinator barrister Nasim Khan and its spokesman S M Shahadat.