Staff Correspondent:

Chaos erupted in the first round of the mass hearing organised by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) as a group of young protesters gathered at the event, demanding immediate abandonment of the hearing.

The hearing at the BIAM auditorium – which began on Wednesday (February 26) and was scheduled to continue till tomorrow – centred on the state-owned gas suppliers proposal to increase the price of gas in the industrial sector from Tk30 to Tk75.72 per unit.

Protests began shortly after the speech by Ruhin Hossen Prince, general secretary of the Bangladesh Communist Party, who criticised the proposal.

Protesters chanted, “The farcical hearing has to stop. Has to stop.”

At one point, members of the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) walked out of the hearing, with the organisation’s leaders describing the proposed gas price hike as both discriminatory and illogical.

BERC Chairman Jalal Ahmed hurriedly announced a lunch break before schedule after failing to tame the protesters.

At the hearing, M Shamsul Alam, energy advisor at CAB, spoke out against the proposed gas price hike for industrial consumption.

In his speech, he criticised the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission for what he perceived as its compliance with government demands.

“What BERC is doing is nothing but adhering to the demand of the government,” Alam said.

“BERC should feel that they are independent and unwilling to bow down to pressure from the government in determining gas prices.”

Alam warned that if the proposal to increase the gas price from Tk30 to Tk75.72 per unit passes, it would have devastating consequences for the industrial sector.

“With this proposal, not only the energy sector but all production sectors will be import-dependent in the future,” he said.

“If the proposed gas price is passed and the government fails to understand the reasoning behind this proposal, our industrial sector will drown in the Bay of Bengal.”

Alam further questioned the motivations behind the price hike proposal, saying, “Who is behind this move to raise the gas price in the industrial sector from Tk30 to Tk75.72? Who is creating such pressure so that the industrial sector is pushed out of the export market?”

He suggested that the proposal did not originate from the energy ministry or Petrobangla but was being driven by external forces.

Ruhin Hossen Prince also raised concerns about the hearing process, claiming that the people’s concerns were not being adequately considered.

“Did BERC ever conduct a study on how this massive gas price hike would impact the country’s business sector?” he asked.

The mass hearing, which is being overseen by BERC Chairman Jalal Ahmed, has seen participation from representatives of CAB, the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI), and various small industries.

According to the proposals from the distribution companies and Petrobangla, gas prices for new industrial and captive power users will be determined based on the actual cost of LNG imports.

Industries exceeding their sanctioned load will be charged according to the same method.