Leaders of the Left Democratic Alliance on Tuesday called on the people to come forward on the street to make the countrywide half-day hartal on July 7 successfull .
LDA, a combine of seven left leaning parties, on Sunday announced the hartal for 6:00am to 2:00pm on July 7 protesting against government’s decision of increasing gas price again.
The alliance held a press conference at Moitri Auditorium at Communist Party of Bangladesh central office at Purana Paltan in the city.
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission on Sunday increased the gas price by 32.8 per cent on an average for all consumers with effect from July 1 ignoring opposition from all sections of the people.
The BERC claimed that the price had to be increased as the country’s gas generation, distribution and transmission companies called for it because of a rise in the gas production cost due to import of liquefied natural gas.
Mosharraf Hossain Nannu, coordinator of the alliance, announced the programmes at the press conference including holding rallies in favour of hartal including holding rallies in different thanas on July 3, march towards Gabtali from in front of Jatiya Press Club on July 4, mass contacts on July 5, march towards Jatrabari from in front of Jatiya Press Club and torch procession from in front of the Press Club in the evening on the day.
CPB president Mujahidul Islam Selim said that increasing the gas price again, the government was encouraging the corruptions.
The price increase of gas would favour the looters and increase sufferings of the common people, Selim said.
CPB general secretary Mohammad Shahe Alam, Revolutionary Workers Party general secretary Saiful Huq, Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist) central leader Shubhrangshu Chakrabartty, SPB central leader Bazlur Rashid Firoj, Ganasamati Andolan central leader Bacchu Bhuiyan, Hamidul Haque and Mominul Islam attended the press conference.
