Price hike of power, fuel, essentials : Police bludgeon protesters
Staff Reporter :
When citizens and political parties rally against the surging prices of essentials, higher gas and electricity tariffs, and the issues of bank fraud and money laundering, they often face obstacles from the government and law enforcement, hindering their public demonstrations.
On Wednesday, a clash erupted as police intervened in a protest against increased gas and electricity prices, along with the rising cost of daily necessities.
The protest, organized by Ganatantra Mancha, encountered police resistance at Zero Point while attempting to march towards the Secretariat after a rally outside the Jatiya Press Club.
The confrontation led to at least 50 protesters, including Gonotantra Mancha’s Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki, being injured, with one individual arrested at the scene, according to reports.
Saiful Haque, General Secretary of the Biplobi Workers Party, condemned the police’s actions and criticized the government’s inability to control the inflation of commodity prices.
He highlighted that the rally was peaceful until the police intervention, which resulted in numerous injuries among the leaders and workers, necessitating hospital treatment.
Witnesses noted that the situation escalated when protesters tried to breach the police barricades, prompting further baton charges from the police.
“We were holding a peaceful rally, but police has intercepted us. At least 50 of our leaders and workers have been injured by uncalled police action. They wounded were sent to hospital. Police baton charged Zonayed Saki along with others,” he said.
Shah Alam Mohammad Akhtarul Islam, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Ramna Zone, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), stated that the protesters had initially promised a peaceful march to the Secretariat but then attempted to force their way through the barricades.
He observed that their aggressive actions suggested they were prepared to breach the barricades, insinuating that they might have been instigated.
“We have tried to make them understand but they did not listen to us. Observing their aggressive actions, it seemed they were trained to breach barricades. It appears they have been hired,” he said.
Before the rally, Zonayed Saki accused certain elements of attempting to perpetuate the government’s power through corrupt practices, emphasizing the need for public mobilization to ensure governmental accountability and restore electoral rights.
“If we don’t take to the streets, this government won’t budge. Do not rely on foreigners as they only take advantage. Through the people’s movement, we must bid farewell to this government and restore our people’s right to vote,” he said.
Mahmudur Rahman Manna, President of Nagorik Oikya, echoed these sentiments, expressing skepticism about the government’s ability to control prices, especially with Ramadan approaching, and criticized the overall governance of the country.
“No matter how much the government behaves, it will not be able to reduce prices during Ramadan.
No country can run worse than the way Bangladesh is running now,” he said.
The Bangaldesh Samajtantrik Dal (BASAD) has also voiced its demand for the revocation of the recent gas and electricity price hikes, arguing that such measures would exacerbate public hardship.
Bazlur Rashid Firoz, General Secretary of BASAD’s Central Committee, highlighted the government’s repeated increase in electricity prices since 2010, attributing it to mismanagement and corruption, particularly in the electricity and gas sectors. BASAD announced plans for nationwide protests on March 1 against the price hikes.
The government’s recent decision to increase gas prices for power generation, with an impending rise in electricity costs, comes amid growing inflation affecting both food and non-food items, severely impacting the lives of ordinary people. The increased costs of gas and electricity are expected to further drive up the prices of daily commodities and production costs.