DHAKA: Bangladesh National Party (BNP) has asked the government to scrap the decision to raise gas price from January of 2017.

Party’s senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the call from a press conference, organized at its Nayapaltan central office on Monday (December 26).

He further said the gas companies made a huge profit and deposited large sums in government treasury in the last fiscal.

“Then why the price of gas will be hiked from January,” he asked.

Mentioning that on average the gas companies proposed to hike price by 88 percent, the BNP spokesman said the household users will suffer most with nearly 140 percent hike.

“As a result of the hike, the price of household gas would be increased upto Tk 1,100 from 600 for single burner and Tk 1,200 from 650 for two burners,” he added.

Price of gas used in captive power plants would increase upto 130 percent which would be the second highest price hike, Rizvi mentioned.

The BNP leader also said prices of gas used in power generation sector will increase upto 60 percent, 62 percent in industry sector, 72 percent in business sector and 83 percent in CNG.

Slamming the government for the decision, he alleged that the hike would benefit the leaders of ruling Awami League.

Responding to a question about whether BNP would stage any demonstration if the government hikes gas price, Rizvi said they are yet to any decision about it.

BNP’s joint secretary general Moazzem Hossain Alal, central executive committee member of Jubo Dal Gias Uddin Mamun and publicity secretary Abdus Salam were, among others, attended the press conference.

BDST: 1625 HRS, DEC 26, 2016
RY/SR/SMS