Police lob tear gas shells, use water cannon on strikers protesting gas prices hike
At least 10 demonstrators have been detained on Tuesday from Dhaka’s Shahbagh.
After the six-hour shutdown ended at 12pm, an alliance of left parties the ‘Ganatantrik Bam Morcha’ announced a march towards the energy ministry on Mar 15.
It also announced plans for agitation between Mar 1 and 15.
On Thursday, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) announced the price revision. The next day CPB and BaSod called for Tuesday’s shutdown, which had been supported by several other parties, including the Morcha.
Hundreds of activists of an alliance of leftist student bodies blocked the Shahbagh intersection since early morning disrupting vehicular traffic in the area.
Around 10:30am, a running battle broke out between police and the demonstrators, when the law enforcers resorted to water cannon. They later fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the protesters.
The police intervention forced agitators to leave the Shahbagh intersection.
They tried to demonstrate on the street in front of the Central Library, but police forced them to leave the spot.
The protesters were seen hurling brickbats at the police at that time.
Police have detained 10 to 15 protestors from the spot, said a leftist student leader.
“We have been demonstrating peacefully since the morning. Police have attacked us for no reason,” said Tuhin Kanti Das, the president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union’s Dhaka University unit.
Chhatra Union is the CPB’s student affiliate.
Police said they have removed the protesters as they were blocking one of the key roads in the capital.
“Shahbagh is a key road intersection. The demonstrations were causing trouble for patients heading towards the Dhaka Medical College Hospital as well SSC examinees…That’s why they have been removed,” said Additional Police Commissioner Mizanur Rahman.
Activists of CPB, BaSoD and Morcha have taken out processions in several parts of the city since the morning.
At a rally in front of the Press Club, the Morcha announced a march towards the energy ministry on Mar 15.
Agitations protesting the gas price hike between Mar 1 and 15 have been also announced from the rally of the alliance of left parties.
Police said traffic has not been disrupted in any part of the city except for Shahbagh and Press Club during the six-hour strike in the capital.
The announcement of the phased hike came on Thursday.
Household gas charge for a single burner stove will be Tk 750 ( up from Tk 600 now) from Mar 1 and TK 800 (up from TK 650 now) for a double burner stove.
In the second phase from Jun 1, the monthly charge for a single burner stove will be Tk 900 and for a double burner stove Tk 950.
Those, who pay the gas bills for household use through meters, will have to pay Tk 9.1 per cubic metre from March and Tk 11.2 from June. They are currently paying Tk 7 per cubic metre.
It means that stove-based charges are rising by 50 percent while meter-based gas cost will go up 60 percent.
Price of compressed natural gas (CNG), used for automobiles, will go up from Tk 35 to 38 per cubic metre in March and to Tk 40 in June.
The 14.28 percent hike will drive up the fares in public transport fare as well.
For power generation, fertiliser production, industries and commercial entities, gas prices are rising by 5 to 50 percent.