Fuel price hike: Nationwide transport strike from Friday
On Wednesday, Bangladesh government increased the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk15 per litre
Public and goods transport owners of the country have called for a nationwide strike starting Friday morning in protest against the latest price hike of diesel and kerosene.
Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van Owners Association President Md Tofazzal Hossain Majumder confirmed the news to The Business Standard.
"Transport owners are already under a lot of pressure. Now, due to the increased price of diesel, it will be impossible for us to operate vehicles. This move [fuel price hike] is illogical," he said.
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Moreover, the government did not discuss the issue of price hikes with the transport leaders, Tofazzal Hossain claimed.
He added that the strike will continue until further notice.
"Truck workers will stop transporting goods from tomorrow [Friday] unless the decision to increase diesel prices is withdrawn," said Abdul Motaleb, general secretary of Bangladesh Truck Covered Van Transport Agency Owners Association.
Besides, Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van, Tank Lorry, Prime Mover Owners and Workers' Coordination Council, in a press release, observed that the government move to increase fuel prices along with the toll for Bangabandhu and Muktarpur bridges will add to the misery of the already Covid-19 ravaged transport sector.
Meanwhile, in Rajshahi, bus owners and workers have decided to stop operating long-haul, local buses and trucks from Friday demanding revised fares.
When contacted, Rajshahi Transport Owners' Group Joint General Secretary Shafkat Manjur Biplob said, "Our fares haven't been adjusted with the new fuel prices. If fares are not increased, transport owners will face huge losses."
Also in Chattogram, transport owners and workers are to suspend public transport operations from Friday.
Belayet Hossain, president of Chattogram Transport Owner Group, said, "There are 1,200 buses currently running in the city. We have already suspended our operations in different parts of the district. We will go on an indefinite strike from tomorrow protesting the fuel price increase."
M Mush, president of Chattogram CNG-Auto rickshaw Labour Union echoed Belayet Hossain.
"We were directed from Dhaka to suspend our services from Friday. Though we have a meeting today evening to decide on the matter," he said.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association sent a letter addressing the secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and the private secretary to the Road Transport and Bridges Minister to increase fares for long haul buses.
The letter read that the bus fare on the long routes including Dhaka and Chattogram has remained unchanged in the last eight years. However, the prices of all kinds of spare parts and fuel increased during this period.
Also, the transport owners incurred huge losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With the government increasing the fuel prices, it would be very difficult to survive in the sector, read the statement.
The association also claimed they had asked the ministry to increase the fare several times, but no such steps were taken.
On Wednesday, the Bangladesh government increased the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk15 per litre due to continuing rally of fuel prices in the global market.
Customers will have to pay Tk80 for per litre of diesel or kerosene from Thursday, said a press release of Energy And Mineral Resources Division on Wednesday night.
In the wake of increasing fuel oil prices in the international market, many countries including neighbouring India are adjusting the prices on regular intervals, said the press release, adding that on 1 November, diesel price in India was Rs101.56, which is equivalent to Tk124.41, but in Bangladesh the price was Tk65.
Considering the current purchase price, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation said it is losing around Tk20 crore per day as it sells per litre of diesel at a price Tk13.01 less than the purchase price and furnace oil at Tk6.21 less per litre.
In October this year, the corporation lost some Tk726.71 crore as it supplied various grades of petroleum products at current prices.
The last time the price of petroleum products was reduced was through a gazette notification on 24 April 2018.
