Left parties observing general strike in capital against gas prices hike

An alliance of leftist students has blocked Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection on Tuesday amid a six-hour shutdown called by left parties protesting gas prices hike.

Staff CorrespondentDhaka University Correspondent and bdnews24.com
Published : 28 Feb 2017, 05:12 AM
Updated : 28 Feb 2017, 07:03 AM

Activists of the Communist Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BaSoD) have taken out processions at the capital's Paltan, Press Club and Gulistan areas since early morning.

No untoward incident  has so far been reported since the shutdown began from 6am. Traffic has not been disrupted in any part of the city except for Shahbagh, said police.

On Thursday, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) announced a hike in gas price . The next day, the  CPB and BaSoD called for Tuesday's shutdown, which has been supported by several other parties.

Hundreds of activists of an alliance of leftist student bodies blocked the Shahbagh intersection since early morning disrupting vehicular  traffic in the area.

A group of protesters were also seen demonstrating in front of the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel with burning tyres.

The student alliance's Coordinator Lucky Akter said their demonstration will continue till 12pm. "Gas prices have been hiked amid opposition from different quarters," she told bdnews24.com.

Police said that the demonstrations at Shahbagh were 'not creating a problem'.

"They are agitating since 6am, but it has not caused any problem," Shahbagh police's Inspector Sheikh Abul Bashar told bdnews24.com.

Police in Paltan, where the left parties are demonstrating, agreed.

"No untoward incidents has taken place here. The protesters are holding peaceful demonstration without disrupting traffic," said Inspector ATM Shahiduzzaman.

The announcement of the phased hike came on Thursday.

Household gas charge for a single burner stove will be Tk 750 ( up from Tk 600 now) from Mar 1 and  TK 800 (up from TK 650 now)  for a double burner stove.

In the second phase from Jun 1, the monthly charge for a single burner stove will be Tk 900 and for a double burner stove Tk 950.

Those, who pay the gas bills for household use through meters, will have to pay Tk 9.1 per cubic metre from March and Tk 11.2 from June. They are currently paying Tk 7 per cubic metre.

It means that stove-based charges are rising by 50 percent while meter-based gas cost will go up 60 percent.

Price of compressed natural gas (CNG), used for automobiles, will go up from Tk 35 to 38 per cubic metre in March and to Tk 40 in June.

The 14.28 percent hike will drive up the fares in public transport fare as well .

For power generation, fertiliser production, industries and commercial entities, gas prices are rising by 5 to 50 percent.