Jamaat to Hold Protest Over Fuel and Electricity Price Hikes
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Jamaat-e-Islami has announced a protest rally and public gathering in the capital city to protest the repeated increases in fuel and electricity prices. The party’s Dhaka metropolitan unit will hold the program at the north gate of the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram on Thursday afternoon.
The information was disclosed in a press release sent to the media by the party’s Dhaka Branch on Wednesday.
Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar will attend the program as chief guest. Assistant Secretary General and Member of Parliament Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, along with Central Executive Council member and Ameer of Dhaka North Mohammad Selim Uddin, will be present as special guests.
Central Executive Council member and Ameer of Dhaka South, Member of Parliament Md. Nurul Islam Bulbul, will preside over the gathering. Central and metropolitan-level leaders of the party will also attend the program.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) on Wednesday announced increases in electricity prices at both the wholesale and retail levels. Under the new rates, the average retail electricity tariff has been raised by Tk 1.52 per unit to Tk 10.63 per unit.
As a result, retail electricity prices have increased by 15 to 19 percent. At the same time, wholesale electricity prices have been raised by 19.85 percent, while transmission charges have increased by 23.96 percent.
Jamaat leaders say the increase in fuel and electricity prices will further raise the cost of living for ordinary people and drive-up commodity prices. They said the protest program has been organized to oppose the latest price hikes.
