BNP backs Left’s strike

The BNP said late Tuesday night that it would back the 6am-12pm general strike called for Wednesday by the Left parties, but the CPB chief claimed they had not sought support from the main opposition party.

BNP Standing Committee Member Tariqul Islam told bdnews24.com that they were throwing their weight behind the lockdown called to protest against the recent rises in prices of fuel, oil and gas which have thrown people into harsher financial troubles.

However, the leaders of the leftist parties suspected there might have been political ‘ill-motives’ behind the BNP’s support.

The left-leaning parties have been criticising the BNP for enfolding right-wing parties including the Jamaat-e-Islami which had opposed the nation’s independence from Pakistan.

Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) enforced a countrywide daylong shutdown on Dec 18 in support of their several demands, including a ban on Jamaat’s politics and acceleration of the trial of the alleged war criminals.

The BNP-led 18-Party Alliance on Jan 6 called a nationwide dawn-to-dusk general strike in protest against the fresh hike in petroleum prices..

Tariqul said: “The new price hike of fuel oil has deepened public sufferings. We’ve protested against the government’s decision by observing the countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on Jan 6.”

“Bam Morcha (a combine of left parties) has called a countrywide half-day shutdown for Wednesday over a similar demand. We’re extending our moral support to the hartal.”

When asked for his reaction to the BNP endorsement , CPB President Mujahidul Islam Selim told bdnews24.com that they did not seek any support from the BNP.

Referring to the hike in petroleum price in several phases during the BNP’s regime, he said: “We’ll understand that they (BNP) have no political ill-motives and that their support is genuine until they promise to not hike the prices once in power.”

Slamming the government, BNP leader Tariqul said: “The government raised fuel oil prices in phases in its last four years in office which has fuelled inflation and subsequently made the life of the common people more difficult.”

“It appears to us that the government has increased fuel oil prices for looting public money. We’ll give support to those who would protest against the government’s undemocratic and unilateral decision.”

After the government on Jan 3 increased the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk 7 and octane and petrol by Tk 5 a litre to cut subsidies, the left-right parties set a deadline for the government to reschind the move and threatened to enforce a shutdown.

As the government did not comply with its deadline by Jan 8, CPB chief Selim called the shutdown programme for Jan 16 from a sit-in programme in front of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission headquarters in the city’s Karwan Bazar the next day.

On the same day, Ganatantrik Bam Morcha coordinator Junaid Saki also called shutdown for Jan 16 from another programme.

The left-leaning parties have been claiming that the government did not follow proper regulations in re-fixing fuel oil prices.

“Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission’s proposals were not followed in raising the petroleum oil price. The other proceedings related to raising the prices including holding a public hearing were not followed,” the CPB chief said.

But, the government says that it had no other alternative but to increase prices to ease subsidy as the oil prices went up in the global market.