Khelafat Majlis demands immediate withdrawal of fuel price hike

Desk Report: Khelafat Majlis has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the government’s decision to increase the prices of all four petroleum products by Tk 20 per litre, warning that the move would further strain people already struggling with high living costs.In a statement issued on Monday, Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Abdul Basit Azad and Secretary General Dr Ahmad Abdul Qader said the latest price hike would push ordinary people into greater hardship.The government raised the retail prices of diesel, kerosene, petrol and octane by Tk 20 per litre, with the new rates taking effect on September 21. Diesel is now selling at Tk 135 per litre, kerosene at Tk 155, petrol at Tk 160 and octane at Tk 165.The Khelafat Majlis leaders said inflation was still above 8 percent and warned that higher fuel prices could create another round of inflationary pressure by increasing transportation, production and distribution costs.They also alleged that the government had raised fuel and electricity prices repeatedly over the past five months and expressed concern that gas prices could also be increased in the future.According to the leaders, the rise in government employees’ salaries has benefited only a relatively small section of the population, while a large majority of ordinary people continue to face financial difficulties.“If people do not have purchasing power, where will tax revenue come from?” they asked, arguing that the government could ultimately lose more revenue from reduced economic activity than it saves by cutting fuel subsidies.The government, however, has said the fuel price adjustment was necessary amid a sharp rise in international petroleum prices and freight costs since March, as well as mounting losses incurred by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC). The government has also cited concerns over fuel smuggling and the need to maintain subsidies for electricity, gas and social safety-net programmes.The Khelafat Majlis leaders called for fuel, electricity and other essential commodity prices to be brought within the purchasing capacity of ordinary citizens. They also urged the government to immediately reverse the latest fuel price increase and take measures to ease the economic pressure on the public.