Shawdesh Desk: Three lawmakers on Sunday raised questions over recent gas price hike which came into effect without any discussion in the house when the parliament was on session.

Taking part in the point of order, Workers Party lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon said that such an increase in gas price without any discussion in the house was an insult to the parliament.

He also said that the BERC sidestepped the parliament as they decided on their own to hike the gas price only four hours after the national budget for 2019-20 fiscal was placed.

He said that people are angry and frustrated over the price hike as it would affect every household and industries as well as various other sectors.

He urged the speaker to bring this to the notice of the energy minister to discuss the gas price in the house.

‘It was important to inquire why the price was hiked. Is it hiked to offset the cost incurred in importing LPG [Liquefied petroleum gas]?’ he said.

He also requested the speaker to consider his notice submitted for allowing a discussion on the matter in the house.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal lawmaker Hasanul Haq Inu, AL lawmaker Moin Uddin Khan Badal, Workers Party lawmakers Fazle Hossain Badsha, Mustafa Lutfullah and Lutfun Nesa Khan also signed the notice placed by Menon.

Additionally, Jatiya Party lawmaker Fakhrul Imam asked the energy minister about the legality of the gas price hike since it had been finalised without discussing the matter in the house.

In absence of the energy minister, agricultural minister Abdur Razzaque, on behalf of the energy minister, said that he did not know anything about the matter.

‘The MP will get his answer if he has given a notice in the parliament,’ the minister added.

JSD lawmaker Shirin Akhter also criticised the decision to hike gas price. She said that she wanted to know why the gas price was increased.

Responding to the supplementary question from Shirin Akhtar, agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque said that people of the country would be benefited indirectlyfor the gas price hike.

‘The price of gas has been increased several times, there were reactions against these moves. I admit that the common people will be slightly affected following the move,’ he said.

The minister said that if the government continued to give subsidy then development in other sectors might be affected.

He mentioned that the government was trying to supply imported LNG to different sectors.

Meanwhile, the government has imported 500 million cubic feet LNG so far while Summit Power, a private organisation, is set to import another 500 million cubic feet LNG.

On June 30, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission increased the gas price by 32.8 per cent on an average for all consumers ignoring opposition from all sections of people and directly affecting 43.10 lakh consumers, including 42.81 household consumers.