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Energy Price

BNP warns of non-stop agitation

Staff Correspondent
The BNP-led 20-party alliance has threatened to wage a non-stop movement if prices of gas and electricity are hiked in January next year.
"We demand that the government shelve its plan to increase gas and power prices. We will be bound to announce a non-stop agita tion the day the prices are increased," BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday.
He was briefing reporters after a secretary general-level meeting of the 20-party alliance at the BNP's Naya Paltan central office in the capital.
Fakhrul, however, did not explain the nature of the movement, saying it will be announced later.
The prices of gas and electricity are set to go up as retailers and wholesalers have submitted proposals to Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission to have the prices adjusted on January 1 next year.
Yesterday's meeting opined that the government was increasing gas and power tariffs in phases to plunder public money and indulge in corruption further, said the BNP leader.
On a different note, he said a huge amount of rice was being imported from India as the government had withdrawn the duty on rice-import, depriving the local farmers of fair prices.
Fakhrul also said the government had taken a "contradictory" policy on exporting rice to Sri Lanka "only to say it attained food sufficiency even though rice was still being imported from India."
The 20-party alliance has also condemned a recent remark by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that the US had made all-out efforts but failed to thwart the January 5 parliamentary election in Bangladesh.
"Such remarks can harm diplomatic relationships between the two countries," he said.
The 20-party alliance meeting also discussed its scheduled rally at Kanchpur on December 13 which would be addressed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
At another programme in the capital yesterday, Fakhrul said those involved in the "ongoing abductions and killings of opposition men" would be tried if BNP came to power.
I'M NOT THAT WEAK YET: KHALEDA
Calling upon the youths to wage anti-government movement, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia last night said she would be on the street with them this time.
"You take to the streets. I will be with you. I am not that weak yet that I will stay off," Khaleda said at a viewexchange meeting with members of "Blue Band Group", a pro-BNP platform for online activists, at her Gulshan office.
The country is now going through a big crisis, and the youths have to play a key role in getting the country out of this situation, said the former prime minister.
Referring to the government action to foil the opposition’s "March for Democracy" on December 29 last year, the BNP chief said she had been confined to her residence for three days to prevent her from taking part in the agitation.
"Our leaders and activists were not allowed to come out of their homes," she added.