The Bangladesh Students Federation, Dhaka Metropolitan City unit, on Sunday staged a rally and torchlight procession in the capital, demanding withdrawal of the recent fuel price hike, reduction of prices of essential commodities and improvement of the country’s law and order situation.
The rally began at around 6:00pm in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh.
At the programme, speakers said the decision to increase fuel prices without holding a public hearing had placed additional pressure on ordinary people. They said the hike was also contributing to higher transportation costs, public transport fares and prices of essential commodities.
They demanded immediate withdrawal of the increased fuel prices and called for public hearings and greater public participation in determining the prices of fuel and essential goods in the future.
Saikat Arif, president of the central executive committee of the Bangladesh Students Federation, said the deterioration of the law and order situation alongside the fuel price hike was a matter of concern.
He demanded that those responsible for incidents of vandalism at hospitals, encroachment and attacks in different parts of the country be brought to justice.
He also called for transparency in the recruitment of primary school teachers, saying the process should be free from political influence.
Al Amin Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Students Federation’s Dhaka Metropolitan unit, said the government should take effective measures to reduce customs duties and VAT in the energy sector instead of increasing the burden on people through higher taxes and fuel prices.
He also demanded that those actually responsible for the vandalism and looting at Radda Hospital be arrested.
Mahmud Hasan, a metropolitan unit member, said fuel prices had been increased without any public hearing or participation.
He said the increase was having a direct impact on transportation fares and the prices of essential commodities, and called for a public hearing before determining fuel prices.
Riaz Hossain, member secretary of the federation’s Mohammadpur unit, said the working class and low-income people were bearing the brunt of the fuel price hike.
He called for the authorities to explain the rationale behind the price increase and make future decisions through public hearings.
He also demanded greater accountability from the administration to prevent encroachment, extortion and what he described as lawlessness in different parts of the country.
The protesters placed five demands at the rally: withdrawal of the increased fuel prices; an end to additional fares on public transport; reduction of prices of essential commodities; improvement of the law and order situation; and an end to extortion and corruption.
Following the rally, leaders and activists of the organisation brought out a short torchlight procession that paraded several roads in the Shahbagh area.
