At least 25 leaders and activists of Left Democratic Alliance were injured on Sunday as police charged them with truncheon during their march towards energy ministry demanding withdrawal of increased gas price.
Activists of LDA, a combine of seven left leaning political parties, started their march towards the energy ministry in Bangladesh Secretariat after holding a rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club.
Police stopped them near the press club putting barbed-wire barricade on their way. Police baton-charged the marchers when they tried to advance removing the barricade, leaving 25 leaders and activists injured.
Communist Party of Bangladesh leader Asaduzzaman Khan Masum, Ganasamhati Andolan leader Mohammad Akter, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation secretary Jahid Sujan, Nasir Uddin, Ariful Islam and Rafiqul Islam of Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh were among the injured.
The marchers then sat on the street beside the barricade where LDA coordinator and United Communist League general secretary Mosharraf Hossain Nannu called on the government to withdraw the gas price hike immediately.
Otherwise, left parties would announce tougher movement to compel the government to withdraw the increased price, Nannu warned.
While addressing the rally, CPB general secretary Mohammad Shah Alam said the recent gas price hike was unethical and it would increase sufferings of the common people.
Saiful Huq, general secretary of Revolutionary Workers Party, said increase of gas price would increase house rents, transport fares and prices of essential commodities.
Socialist Party of Bangladesh central leader Bazlur Rashid Firoj said the LDA would chalk out tougher movement from the representatives meeting scheduled to be held in Dhaka on July 19.
The executive coordinator of Ganasamhati Andolan, Abul Hassan Rubel, said that the government could save Tk 16 thousand crore per year stopping corruptions and mismanagements.
SPB (Marxist) central leader Manas Nandi, Samajtantrik Andolan convener Hamidul Haque and Democratic Revolutionary Party central leader Liaquat Ali and Khalequzzaman Lipon also spoke at the rally.
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission increased gas price by 32.8 per cent on the very next day of passing the budget on June 30.
