Fuel price hike inevitable if Bangladesh remains dependent on imports: Minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon says that due to Bangladesh’s import dependence on fuel oil, prices been increased to keep pace with the ongoing international crisis.

“Populist decision-making is not the only job of the government, the job of the government is to maintain good governance in the long term,” he said in response to a question while speaking to the media at the Secretariat on the first working day after the Eid holidays on Monday.

In response to reporters’ questions regarding the increase in fuel oil prices, the information minister said, “You probably know that since the day the energy crisis began, all the countries that are dependent on import-based energy have been increasing prices in line with the international crisis. Everyone knows that even though everyone else has increased prices, our government has maintained fuel prices at their old level for a long time, despite being an import-dependent country.

“We have to import fuel. Our power minister and state minister have regularly informed the nation about this and provided the statistics. But if it is true that we have to continue importing, then we will have to continue relying on import capacity.”

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources have already formed an advisory committee under the leadership of Wahiduddin Mahmud to deal with the war situation, the minister said.

He said, “The government is acting on the advice of the advisory committee and the advice of Wahiduddin Mahmud, a prominent economist in the country. According to his counsel, prices have not been increased for a long time.

“Again, the crisis is not over yet, and we will have to continue importing. The government has to keep running while keeping all these things in mind.”