The Daily Morning Voice Online Desk: In spite of sufferings of people, the government has raised electricity tariffs finding no other alternatives, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said in a statement on Saturday (January 21). In a statement, Quader, who is also the Road Transport and Bridges minister, said the government provides subsidy of Tk 3 for generation of a single unit of electricity on an average. The Power Development Board (PDB) is provided subsidies worth Tk 40,000 crore annually.  In spite of sufferings of people, the government has raised electricity tariffs finding no other alternatives.”

Referring to the global energy situation, he said the oil and gas supply chains have collapsed around the world due to Russia-Ukraine War. Because of it, prices of oil and gas have increased worldwide. Electricity tariff in the United States has increased by about 2.45 times, while it has raised by 5.45 times in the United Kingdom. Quader also condemned the “intentional and motivated remarks” of BNP leaders including the party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Protesting against Mirza Fakhrul’s remarks that the “government won’t find any way of fleeing the country,” Qauder said that such remarks don’t fit in the mouths of the leaders of a party whose topmost leadership left the country giving undertaken that he would not get involved in politics in future and roam as an absconding person abroad being convicted by court. The Awami League general secretary said they have been spreading propaganda against the country visiting their foreign masters abroad and appointing lobbyist farms spending millions of dollars. “We expect responsible behaviour from BNP as a political party and call upon them to take preparations for the upcoming general elections instead of spreading propaganda against the government to reap political benefits. State power can only be changed through election in constitutional way,” he said.