Thousands in Bangladesh protest price hike ahead of Ramadan

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Thousands of Bangladeshi nationals under the banner of the main opposition political party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), held anti-government demonstrations in the capital Dhaka, protesting the price hike of gas, electricity, and daily commodities ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

“This (Awami League) government has looted the country’s leading and most profitable private bank, Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, and irregularities and corruption have collapsed every vital sector of the state,” BNP central leader Abdus Salam alleged while addressing the rally.

He added that the price of all necessary daily commodities has jumped rapidly and gone out of the purchasing capability of mass people.

The opposition leader claimed that corruption and irregularities have reached the grassroots and affected every service sector of the country and the only solution to the crisis is to oust this “fascist” government.

“Without the restoration of the non-partisan caretaker government system, no national elections will be allowed to be held in Bangladesh,” addressing the rally, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, another central leader of the party, said.

Workers from different parts of the capital city Dhaka joined the rally, carrying banners and festoons to press home their demands while they also chanted slogans demanding the withdrawal of all cases against former Prime Minister and opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia.

Former three-term premier Zia is being punished in two corruption cases and was disqualified in the previous national elections in 2018, and the embargo is still active meaning that she will be barred from the next national election constitutionally to be held in December this year or January next year.