Online Desk: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has condemned the retail power price hike, announced by the government through an executive order on Tuesday. The party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a statement said this ‘illegal’ Awami League government has once again increased the price of electricity and has become desperate for reckless looting at the end of its tenure.

Mentioning that power price hike is manifestation of government’s looting, Fakhrul said the current government does not want to justify the facility and problem of mass people as it is not elected by the people.  “If there is fair election, they (Awami League) would suffer a huge defeat. That is why they are increasing the prices of essential products, including electricity, in phases to take revenge on the people.”

The BNP secretary general said power price hike will create a negative impact on the economy, as well as adverse affect will be seen on factories and agriculture sector. Price of essentials will increase further amid the unbridled trend of price hike, he added. Mirza Fakhrul said, “People have rejected the government’s anti-people and unreasonable decision to increase the price of electricity. They (people) are being oppressed as the present government lacks accountability. This illegal Awami government has declared war against the people.”

He further said, “The government is taking anti-people decisions one after another because it does not care about accountability. They doe not care about people’s sufferings while increasing the electricity price. Electricity price has been hiked without considering the suffering of the people to rely on corruption and looting.” “After increasing the price of electricity 13 times in 14 years, the price of electricity has been increased twice in a span of 19 days in January. The government increased the power price again on Tuesday.” The BNP secretary general urged the government to withdraw the decision of power hike immediately.