Staff Reporter
Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman yesterday said the gov-ernment will consider adjusting fuel prices domestically once global fuel prices decrease and stabilize at a sustainable level.
He made the remarks while responding to a question at a weekly press briefing held at the Secretariat here.
Addressing the recent situation regarding fuel prices in the international market, Dr Zahed said the gov-ernment had previously adjusted domestic fuel prices in alignment with global market trends.
However, if global fuel prices dwindle and remain stable, the government will certainly consider a further readjustment of the fuel prices.
The adviser said the government’s primary priority is controlling commodity prices and addressing the fuel crisis.
He added that if fuel prices drop, the situation stabilizes, and fuel supplies are secured, the environment for local investment will strengthen; this will create new jobs and curb inflation, bringing relief to com-moners.
Responding to another query over battery-run auto-rickshaws and illegal electricity connections in the capital, Dr Zahed said the government has already formulated a policy taking into account certain positive aspects concerning auto-rickshaw drivers.
However, he emphasized that any demand to maintain illegal electricity lines or attempts to create chaos in the power sector would be considered as a clear criminal offense.
“The measures taken by the government regarding the recent incident in Mirpur sent a clear message to all. Rather than conducting special drives, the government will strictly control all illegal activities through existing laws,” he said.
About Chattogram Port and Teesta Master Plan, the information adviser said the government would make decisions based on the greater interests of the state and the people.
He said a fresh feasibility study on Teesta project is being conducted to explore methods for retaining monsoon water alongside river training measures.
As an independent and sovereign state, Bangladesh will take measures while safeguarding its own inter-ests, he added.
Regarding market monitoring, Dr Zahed said: “Drives or legal actions alone cannot be the sole solution for controlling the market. We do not believe that simply conducting mobile court drives will resolve every problem.”
He mentioned that the government is trying to maintain a normal supply chain to bring stability to the market.
Particular attention is being given to ensuring that importers and producers involved in the trade receive fair prices for their goods and that the supply of products remains uninterrupted, he said, adding that prices would remain stable if the supply chain functions normally.
The adviser informed the briefing that initiatives have been taken to increase the rice allocation under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) program from 10 kg to 20 kg to alleviate the hardships faced by low-income people.
Dr Md Alam Mostafa, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and Md Jahidul Islam, Senior Deputy Principal Information Officer, were present at the press briefing.
