Special Correspondent
Left Democratic Alliance has called a half-day hartal in the country on July 7 (Sunday) in the protest against the increase of gas price. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Central Council of the Left Democratic Alliance on Monday (July 1) noon.
Earlier on Sunday (June 30), Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has announced to increase the price of gas at all levels from July 1.
As per the latest announcement of BERC, consumers will have to pay Tk 925 for single burner and Tk 975 for double burner in per month. Prior to that, one and two burner stoves were priced at Tk 750 and 800 respectively.
Meanwhile, Leaders and activists of the Left Democratic Alliance started campaigns for July 7 half-day hartal in protest against gas price raise on Wednesday.
The campaign was officially launched through a rally in front of the Communist Party of Bangladesh central office at Purana Paltan in Dhaka.
The leaders on Wednesday held a rally presided over by coordinator of the alliance and general secretary of the United Communist League Mosharraf Hossain Nannu.
They called on the people to extend their support to succeed the hartal as the price hike would increase suffering of the people.
CPB general secretary Mohammad Shah Alam, Revolutionary Workers Party general secretary Saiful Huq, Socialist Party of Bangladesh central leader Bazlur Rashid Firoj, SPB (Marxist) central leader Manas Nandi, Ganasamhati Andolan central leader Bachhu Bhuiyan, Bangaldesher Samajtantrik Andoan convener Hamidul Haque spoke at the rally.
The leaders meet people on the road and travelling passengers and distributed leaflets in Gulistan, Purana Paltan, High Court areas.
Moreover, the leaders and activists of the alliance partners held separate mass contacts in their respective areas in Dhaka City and across the country.
The LDA will hold a march towards Gabtoli starting from the National Press Club at 11:00am today.
Workers Party of Bangladesh, a partner of the Awami League led alliance, will observe countrywide demonstrations on Saturday protesting against the price hike of gas.
Terming the gas price hike as illogical, the politburo of the party asked the district and upazila committees to held rallies.
BNP Protests gas price hike
Earlier, BNP staged demonstrations across the country on Tuesday (July 2) protesting gas price hike.
Districts and city units of the party also hold protest rallies and organized processions on the day.
In Dhaka, BNP and its frontal organisations staged demonstrations and brought out processions at the police station level.
The BNP’s Dhaka south city unit brought out a procession from front of the party central office at 12 noon.
The procession was led by BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Dhaka south general secretary Kazi Abul Bashar. The protesters paraded through Naya Paltan VIP Road and came back to the party central office after moving round from the Kakrail Nightingale intersection.
Speaking at a brief rally at Bijoynagar intersection, Rizvi alleged that the government’s decision to increase the gas price would impose a heavy burden on people.
“We strongly condemn and protest the illegal decision of the government and urge it not to execute the price hike at the consumer level,” he said.
