Withdraw decision to hike soybean oil price, Fakhrul urges govt

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BN) has urged the government to withdraw its decision to increase the price of soybean oil.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the call alleging that the move was taken to protect the interests of the ruling quarters.

He said: “After the meeting of the mill owners with the Commerce Secretary, the price of bottled soybean oil has been increased by Tk 38 per litre, and loose soybean oil by Tk 44 per litre. The government has revealed an extremely anti-mass policy through it."

Fakhrul stated that the people have been subjected to serious harassment and the lower and middle income people are being forced to pay extra money for soybean oil “in connivance” with the ruling party-affiliated business syndicates.

"Soybean oil is a very important product as edible oil. It is an essential ingredient for cooking in every household. So the main goal (behind the hike in soybean oil prices) is to make billions of taka by controlling this daily essential product through the syndicates,” Fakhrul observed.

He also said people will go through serious ordeals as the edible oil price has now gone beyond their purchasing capacity.

“The government has increased the price of soybean oil in the interest of its own people (ruling party leaders). The price of edible oil has not been increased in any of the neighbouring countries,” the BNP leader observed.

He said the government has taken such a decision as it does not care about the interests of the people., reported UNB.

The BNP leader also said the government wants to keep the people captive by creating a frightening atmosphere through resorting to oppression and suppression.

“I strongly condemn this anti-people decision to increase the price of soybean oil and demand the immediate withdrawal of the decision,” he said.