Member secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources and Power-Port on Sunday said people will resist the government move to raise power and gas prices.
“If the prices of power and gas are raised, people won’t accept it and resist such anti-people decision,” he said.
He made the remarks while speaking at an opinion-exchange meeting of the committee titled ‘Gas resources of Bangladesh, power tariff hike and the government’s plan’ at Mukti Bhaban in the city.
The meeting was addressed, among others, by National Committee leaders Mohammad Shah Alam, Saiful Haque, Bazlur Rashid Firoz, Tipu Biswas, and Abul Hasan Rubel, while Prof Moshahida Sultana, Ruhin Hossain Prince and Zonaid Saki made presentations on the public opinion at the recently held public hearing.
Prof Anu Mohammad observed that the costs of power and gas are going up because of the foreign-dependent power and energy system master plan.
“The government should abandon the foreign-dependent energy and power system master plan,” he said making a call to prepare a new master plan in consultation with local experts to protect the interest of mass people.
Anu Mohammad alleged that the government is exposing gas crisis in a bigger way with a target to promote LPG by a certain business group.
He noted that previously the government had said the country had no gas crisis which ultimate goal was to promote gas export but the plan was foiled.
Anu Mohammad demanded cancellation of the contracts signed with foreign companies for gas exploration in order to establish full ownership of people on gas resources.
The other leaders said the government has been implementing different schemes in the name of mega projects only to promote corruption as these projects are mainly benefiting a section of people who get commission from these projects.
The leaders warned that the people would go for movement if power or gas prices are hiked as people are suffering a lot for the price hike of essential commodities.
