Stop meddling in LPG price fixing process: Consumer rights groups to govt UNB, Dhaka UNB, Dhaka
Consumer rights groups and business operators today demanded an end to the government s interference in the price fixing process of liquified petroleum gas (LPG).
They urged for determining a single regulator to play the role of watchdog in ensuring a fair price of LPG at the consumer level by protecting the interest of the consumers as well as the operators of the business.
They made the call while participating in a public hearing convened by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) at BIAM Auditorium in the city.
LPG prices rise as global markets heat up in winter
Each cylinder now costlier by Tk 100
The retail price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) went up 10 per cent in the domestic market in January after demand rose in Western countries because of winter, pushing up the rate in the international markets.
The price of the fuel in the global markets reached $550 per tonne in December, an increase of 17 per cent from $470 in November. The hike caused the price to go up in Bangladesh from January 1.
Now, a 12kg LPG cylinder is being sold in the retail market at Tk 980 to Tk 1,050, depending on companies, up Tk 100 from ten days ago.
Emran Hossain | Published: 00:07, Jan 02,2021 | Updated: 00:13, Jan 02,2021
A balance between the capacity to generate and the capability to use electricity remains a major challenge for Bangladesh as the generation capacity has been enhanced without developing commensurate transmission and distribution networks.
The country’s annual spending on the idle power plants has increased 300 per cent over the last decade with the highest amount of Tk 108 billion paid in 2019–20. Over the past decade the idle power plants have been paid nearly Tk 600 billion.
The price of power has seen a 98 per cent rise over the last decade as the government has tried to rein in the sector’s increasing deficit that is, experts predict, likely to go up further with the government continuing to increase the power generation capacity.
It all becomes more relevant considering the worldwide hullabaloo centring climate change and ensuring sustainable environments.
Take the case of elephant grass, or hogla pata as is called in Bangla. With a low requirement for water and nutrients, it can be harvested a couple of times a year and stored year round on being baked under the sun.
The grass can be woven into elegant yet strong handicraft items such as baskets, ropes, hats and even into roofing and fencing.
It is the most common raw material used by handicraft artisans in Barishal, although the output is mostly limited to mats, thanks to huge surges in demand during the sacrifice of animals on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.