Hasina acknowledges public sufferings from fuel price hike

Staff Correspondent: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said that she fully understands the sufferings of the people due to the recent price hike of fuel oil and electricity rationing. “We can realise the sufferings of the people,” she said while speaking at the meeting with organising secretaries of Awami League from eight divisions at her official residence Ganabhaban.
Hasina, chief of the governing Awami League, assured that her government will surely cut down the fuel oil price when it will come down in the international market.
“We will adjust the prices of fuel oil whenever it comes down in the world market. I have given that directive too,” she said.
Referring to ongoing power crisis and the countrywide load-shedding, she said that people have to endure this pain for some more days.
“When the coal-fired electricity stations go into production, our problems with power will fade away,” she said.
The prime minister admitted that the government has given the opposition parties to go for movement against it.
“Our opposition is getting a scope to wage movement. Let them do that. I also want that,” she said.
In this connection, she said that yesterday she has directed relevant authorities to allow the opposition to continue their agitation and not to arrest anyone.
“If they want to besiege the Prime Minister office, let them do that,” she said.
She also said that people know very well that her government has tried with utmost sincerity to tackle the fuel oil price and electricity production.
“Opposition will try to utilise this, but if they do anything excessive people will ultimately suffer more for that. They have to realise that,” she said.
She said she has doubts about the success of the opposition protest movement that surely will harm the country.
“But we will be able to handle that, I have that belief,” she stated.
PM Hasina blamed Ukraine-Russia war, the subsequent sanctions and counter-sanctions for the current economic problems of the country that hit when it was turning around from the grip of coronavirus pandemic impact quite well.
“The USA and Russia are the most gainers from the sanctions and counter-sanctions as the prices of US and Russian currencies have increased,” she said.
She also said that middle and lower- middle class people around the world are the worst suffers of the war, sanctions and counter-sanctions.
The premier came down heavily on a section of people who increased the prices of everything taking the advantage of war and fuel price hike.
“There is a section of businesspeople who hike the prices illogically. There is no reason for raising the prices of everything. But they are increasing the prices,” she regretted.
She urged the people to increase production and produce whatever they can. “We are facing problems in those items which are dependent on import.”
Recalling the August 15 bloodshed, she said she wonders why did they kill my father, mother and brothers. “What was their fault,” she asked.
She said that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman tried to establish a pro-people administration and decentralise the power to the grassroots of people.
“It seems that whoever wants to play a role in developing people’s life in this country must have to face a disaster. This is reality,” she said.
She said that this is very much unfortunate that whenever people of the country started to live a better life the vested quarter started to hatch conspiracy.
“There is a section of people who never wants the welfare of the people. When the independence becomes meaningful, good results of the independence reach to the people, we see there is an effort always to put hurdle on that,” she said.
She put emphasis on strengthening the party and its activities, and to remain beside the people as it always did in the past.
Hasina said Awami League always believes in democracy, principle and power of the people.
She said that military rulers Ziaur Rahman, HM Ershad and ex-PM Khaleda Zia of BNP patronised and awarded the killers of Bangabandhu and granted them immunity from any court trial.