Jamaat protests fresh LPG price hike, warns of public hardship
Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar on Monday expressed deep concern over a hike in the price of a 12kg liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder by Tk 223, warning that the hike would cause fresh hardship for people already struggling with rising living costs.
In a statement, he said the latest hike, which has raised the price of a 12kg LPG cylinder to Tk 2,060, would further increase household expenses, particularly for low- and middle-income families.
Porwar said ordinary people were already struggling to cope with rising prices of essential commodities, and another sharp increase in LPG prices within just a month would add to their financial burden.
He also criticised the government's failure to ensure that LPG was sold at officially fixed prices, alleging that cylinders had long been sold at rates much higher than the government-fixed prices.
The Jamaat leader said there were allegations that 12kg LPG cylinders were being sold for Tk 2,200 to Tk 2,300 even in the capital before the latest hike, while effective market monitoring and accountability remained absent.
He urged the government to immediately withdraw the LPG price hike, ensure sales at officially fixed rates, take effective measures to stop syndicates and excessive profiteering, and strengthen regular market monitoring to protect consumers' interests.
