After increasing once in mid-April this year, fuel prices were increased again in early June. Drivers have expressed their anger over the decision to increase the price of oil twice in a span of one and a half months.
It is known that on Monday (June 1) they visited important pumps including Neelkhet, Shahbagh, Tejgaon, Asadgate and talked to the drivers.
Private car driver Al Amin Hossain took fuel from Bandhu filling station at Nilkhet intersection of the capital. He told RisingBD.com, “I drive a car owned by a sir. Sir gives me a fixed budget for oil every week. But since May, the budget doesn't last the whole week. Now the price is increasing again, sir is telling us to reduce the use of the car. The car will not be taken out unnecessarily. I am afraid that if the price of oil continues to rise like this, the owners will stop driving, and drivers like us will lose their jobs. If the price of oil increases, not only oil will increase, starting from chilies in the market.” The price of rice also increases. We drivers are now in a maze.”
Motorcyclist Abu Yusuf took fuel from the Meghna Model Service Center filling station in Shahbagh of the capital. He told RisingBD.com, “A month and a half ago, bike oil used to cost 3,000 taka. After the price hike in May, it went up to 3,500. After the price increase in early June, now about 4,500 taka per month will be spent on oil alone! Our salary does not increase twice in a month and a half, but the prices of goods continue to increase.”
App-based ride sharing driver Humayun Kabir took fuel from Ramna petrol pump. He told TimesBD, “We share rides and make ends meet. When the price of oil increased in April, the app companies did not increase the fares. We constantly haggle with the customers. Now the price of oil has increased again. If I fill up with Rs 1,000 per day, at the end of the day I can't take home even Rs 400 after spending all the expenses in the jam. After sleeping on the streets all day in this heat, if I buy rice and pulses If there is no money, what is the use of riding a bike?”
MA Mannan Majumdar, accountant at the Meghna Model Service Center filling station in Shahbagh, told TimesBD, “We are selling oil at the new price set by the government. We have no hand in it. But many bikers get involved in arguments with us without realizing it.”
State Minister's assurance
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit said that due to the pressure on the price of fuel oil in the international market due to the ongoing geopolitical crisis in the Middle East, the government had to take a decision to adjust the price.
He assured that the government will also try to provide relief to the consumers through speedy price adjustments if the oil prices come down significantly in the global market.
The state minister said these things while talking to reporters at his office of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources at the Secretariat on Monday (June 1).
When asked about the concerns of the common people over the two consecutive increases in fuel oil prices recently, the state minister said, “There is a price adjustment process every month. However, no adjustment was made in May. The government's position is that no additional pressure will be created on the people unless it is absolutely necessary. But due to the crisis in the Middle East, adjustments have to be made in some cases.”
He also said, “About 66 percent of fuel consumption in the country is diesel. The government has to pay the most subsidy for this fuel. The price of diesel has been kept unchanged to reduce the impact on the common people.”
In response to the question whether the price of fuel may increase in the future, the state minister said, “The government is hopeful that the crisis in the Middle East will be resolved soon. If the price of fuel oil decreases in the international market, the government will also take steps to pass that benefit to the consumers.”
He said, “This is an elected government. We have a responsibility towards the people. So necessary decisions will be taken quickly to ease people's suffering.”
On Sunday (May 31), the notification sent by the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources announced the decision to increase the price. According to the notification, the price of diesel per liter at the consumer level has been kept unchanged at Tk 115. The price of kerosene has been increased from Tk 130 to Tk 135 per litre, the price of petrol has been increased from Tk 135 to Tk 140 per liter and the price of octane has been increased from Tk 140 to Tk 145 per litre.
