Jamaat leader says Rahman government neglecting soaring prices, gas shortages in Bangladesh

Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Mia Golam Porwar accused the government of focusing on political rivals while failing to address rising commodity prices and worsening gas and electricity shortages.

“It has no headache over the prices of essentials, gas and electricity,” Porwar said at an emergency press conference at the party’s central office in Dhaka.

Porwar said public frustration had grown during the administration’s first five months because of rising living costs, extortion, corruption and deteriorating law and order.

He said gas shortages were preventing households from cooking, disrupting industrial production and limiting electricity generation. He urged increased production at the Titas, Bibiyana, Habiganj and Rashidpur gas fields.

Porwar also criticized an average 16.68 percent increase in retail electricity tariffs in June and alleged that some consumers had received bills two to three times higher than their actual usage.