Desk Report: The Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir has strongly protested the latest increase in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices at the consumer level, describing the move as anti-people and demanding immediate withdrawal of the increased price.

In a statement issued jointly on Monday (November 2), the organisation`s Central President Nurul Islam and Secretary General Sibgatullah said the latest Tk 223 increase in the price of a 12-kg LPG cylinder, raising it to Tk 2,060, had added to the financial burden of ordinary consumers already struggling with rising living costs.

They said the government had increased LPG prices five times in the past eight months since the BNP government assumed office, putting additional pressure on household budgets.

According to the statement, LPG prices were raised twice in April by Tk 387 and Tk 212 respectively, followed by increases of Tk 70 in August, Tk 252 in October and Tk 223 in the latest adjustment.

"When ordinary and middle-income families are already struggling with rising prices of essential commodities, including rice, lentils and edible oil, another increase in the price of an essential cooking fuel cannot be considered a pro-people decision," the leaders said.

They argued that repeated increases in fuel prices were making household management increasingly difficult, particularly for low- and middle-income families, students, tenants and people with limited incomes.

The Shibir leaders also expressed concern that LPG cylinders were often being sold in retail markets at prices higher than those fixed by the authorities, forcing consumers to pay additional amounts beyond the official rates.

They warned that the latest price hike would also increase operating costs for hotels, restaurants and small businesses, potentially pushing up the prices of goods and services across the market.

The organisation questioned the government`s decision to raise the prices of essential goods and services without adequately considering people`s income levels and purchasing capacity.

The leaders further pointed out that millions of households had become increasingly dependent on LPG for cooking because of severe shortages of piped natural gas.

They alleged that some unscrupulous importers and middlemen were taking advantage of this dependence, while the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) was failing to adequately protect consumer interests in the price-setting process.

"Protecting the interests of business syndicates at the expense of ordinary consumers is unacceptable," they said, calling for greater transparency and accountability in determining LPG prices.

The student organisation urged the government to immediately withdraw the latest price increase and set LPG prices at levels compatible with the purchasing capacity of ordinary people.

It also demanded transparency in the price-fixing mechanism and effective action against artificial shortages, hoarding and the sale of LPG cylinders at prices above officially prescribed rates.

The leaders called on the government to ensure an uninterrupted supply of LPG at affordable prices, stressing that access to reasonably priced cooking fuel was essential for protecting household welfare and easing the cost-of-living pressure.