BNP blames govt for inflation

Senior BNP leader Tariqul Islam on Friday blamed the government’s recent decision to hike fuel oil prices as being responsible for the rising inflation in the country and called for a rollback.

“The inflation is going up. The World Bank’s report has also said the inflation will rise more because of the government’s decision to hike the fuel oil prices,” he said at a programme organised by the pro-BNP cultural organisation Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (JASAS) in the capital.

Islam said the government should roll back the price of fuel oils to the pre-hike levels , heeding the World Bank’s warning on inflation.

“And police are using the pepper spray to subdue the people who are protesting the price hike across the country,” he added.

Islam also said that this spray was used in foreign countries to tame ‘wild animals’.

The government raised prices of diesel, octane, kerosene and petrol on Jan 3 for the fifth time in past four years. The prices of petrol and octane were raised by Tk 5 per litre, and diesel and kerosene by Tk 7.

Meanwhile, in its ‘Global Economic Prospects’ report published on Wednesday, the World Bank said the rate of inflationary rise until second quarter of 2012 was “acceptable” but consumer goods prices may shoot up now after the fuel price hike.

After the government decided to hike the prices, the BNP-led opposition 18-Party Alliance had observed a dawn-to-dusk countrywide general strike on Dec 3 protesting the decision. The Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh and Ganatantrik Baam Morcha also enforced a half-day strike on Jan 16 on the same issue.

Islam demanded the arrest of Awami League MP Gias Uddin Ahmed for allegedly threatening to “shoot” two government officials.

” Arrest this self-proclaimed killer immediately and try him. This MP has also killed people in his own constituency,” Islam said.bdnews24.com

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