National Citizen Party (NCP) spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan has criticised the government over the country’s worsening gas and electricity shortages, saying people are facing growing hardship.
He urged the government to provide citizens with a “card” that would guarantee gas and electricity supplies to their homes.
“If there is any card that will ensure gas and electricity at home, please give us that card,” he said at the closing rally of an 11-party alliance’s Dhaka-Chattogram long march at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram city on Saturday.
Asif said Bangladesh was passing through a critical period and expressed frustration that the situation had worsened instead of improving.
“We thought this crisis would end soon, but it is getting worse. The crisis has deepened under the current government,” he said.
He said the country appeared to be gradually returning to conditions of the past.
“We are having to cook with firewood again. If we keep moving backwards like this, we may eventually return to the Stone Age,” he said.
The NCP spokesperson accused the government of failing to take effective measures to resolve the country’s major problems since assuming office.
He alleged that no adequate initiatives had been taken to address people’s basic needs and reduce their suffering.
“We are gradually moving from the digital age back to the analogue age,” Asif said, urging the government to take immediate steps to ease public hardship.
On the political situation, he said several political parties were active in the country, including the 11-party alliance.
He called for the responsibility of governing the country to be handed over to representatives elected by the people.
The Dhaka-Chattogram long march and its concluding rally were organised by the 11-party alliance to press for implementation of the referendum verdict and trial of those responsible for the July mass killings.
The alliance also demanded an end to shortages of electricity, oil, gas and fertiliser, measures to curb rising prices of essential commodities, and an end to extortion, corruption and narrow partisan politics.
Improving the law and order situation was also among its demands.
