CAB: Fuel price hike to soar prices of essentials

The increase in prices of diesel and kerosene will cause prices of daily essentials to go up, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has said.

In a statement on Thursday, SM Nazer Hossain, vice-president of central committee of the organisation, called on the government to reduce fuel prices.

With the announcement of a hike in fuel prices on the pretext of rising prices in the global market, there will be a spike in the prices of daily commodities, said the statement.

SM Nazer Hossain told TBS, "The Energy and Mineral Resources Division has been unfair to the larger population. Even when fuel price was reduced in global market in the past, the price was not reduced in Bangladesh."

The statement said, "Rising prices of daily commodities, especially rice, sugar and vegetables, have led to a decline in the livelihoods of common people. The prices of gas and electricity have also been hiked multiple times. The value of dollars has also gone up abnormally."

A few days ago, the prices of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) products, which people with low income depend on, were also increased.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation and the Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners Association have called for a nationwide bus-truck strike since Friday morning to protest the rise in fuel prices.

The consumer price of diesel and kerosene was increased from Tk65 per litre to Tk80 per litre by the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, effective from Thursday. 

However, the price of octane has been kept at Tk89 per litre and the price of petrol has been kept at Tk86 per litre as before.