HC asks HC to adjourn gas pricing

The Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) supplementary application has been filed against the government's decision to increase the price of the recent gas. The High Court has fixed the date for hearing on Tuesday. On Thursday, the High Court bench comprising Justice FM Nazmul Ahsan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader announced the date for hearing. Barrister Jurtimoy Barua on behalf of the court appealed for the petition. Barrister Ashraf was in favor of Petrobangla. After the increase in gas prices on July 1, the cab has filed a supplementary application to the High Court to postpone it. Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, appearing for the petition, filed a supplementary petition with the CAB. Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua said the High Court issued a rule against the order to increase the price of gas for the first time. It is illegal to accept public hearing from March 11 to March 14, when the rule proposes to increase the price of gas again while being in jail. In 2011, the Cab filed a writ petition against the decision to increase gas prices in two phases in 2017. The court issued a rule against the writ.   In this situation, the announcement to increase the price of gas again this month. The new application says that the rules for the distribution and circulation of gas in the 2010 law are to follow certain precise procedures for increasing gas prices in Malaysia. But Petrobangla and BERC have increased gas prices unnecessarily without following these processes. On July 1, the government increased gas prices. In this, an oven for the house has increased from Tk 750 to Tk 925 and two stoves from 8 hundred to 975 rupees. Apart from this, the price has increased to 12.50 paisa per cubic meter for home-based customers. On average, every cubic meter increased by 9 to 80 paisa. Besides, the cost of converted natural gas (CNG), used as fuel for vehicles, has been increased from Rs 38 per cubic meter to 43 rupees. At the same time, the price of gas has been increased in power generation, fertilizer, industrial, tea-garden and commercial sectors. The cost of the gas used to produce electricity was four paise, 45 paise, 13 rupees 85 paise for captive power, 4 taka 45 paise for fertilizer factory and 10 to 70 paise in industrial factory and tea garden. In the commercial sector, hotel and restaurant prices have been fixed at Tk 23 per cubic meter and small and cottage industries have been fixed at Tk 17 per paisa.