BNP supporting syndicates to hike commodity prices: Quader

BNP is sponsoring and supporting the hoarders and syndicates to create an anarchic situation regarding commodity prices in the country.

Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader made the blame at a press conference held at the political office of the Awami League President at Dhanmondi in the capital on Saturday.

“BNP nurtured the syndicate. It patronized the hoarders. Would it be wrong to say so? Those who are doing these activities are the old syndicates created by BNP,” he said.

Noting that the past BNP-led government was a business-oriented one, he said AL did not come to do business here.

There is no reason to think that the government has given up on controlling commodity prices, he said, adding that the evil forces which are trying to hatch conspiracies by hiking commodity prices and dissatisfying the common people to foil the ruling government's schemes will not be spared in anyway.

AL General Secretary said that the government is providing enough subsidy on electricity.

“The government wants to reduce this subsidy gradually. That is why coordination has become necessary. If we want to maintain the electricity facility, then we have to make the adjustment,” he added.

Obaidul Quader said while BNP was in power, it increased the price of electricity nine times in five years. Even, people suffered 18 hours load-shedding a day, he added.

AL Organizing Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque and Mirza Azam, Science and Technology Affairs Secretary Abdus Sabur and Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan were present, among others, on the occasion.