A writ petition has been filed with the High Court on Monday seeking its directives to issue a rule upon the government to explain as to why they should not be directed to take immediate step for ensuring to write maximum retail price (MRP) in the body of the Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder.
The petition also wanted to know in the rule as to why the government should not be directed to set up a price fixation committee for fixing retail price of LP gas.
Supreme Court laywer Md Moniruzzaman filed the petition as public interest litigation. He said that the High Court may hear the petition next week.
Energy secretary, chairman of energy regulatory authority and director general of directorate of national consumers rights protection have been made respondents in the petition.
After filing the petition, the lawyer said, “To create an enabling environment, efficient, well-managed and sustainable energy sector in Bangladesh for providing energy at just and reasonable cost and protection of consumers interest and satisfaction through fair practice is the goal of the energy regulatory authorities. But the authorities don’t care the public interests in case of gearing up the prices of the energies.”
An annexed report of the petition said, “The price of liquefied petroleum gas has increased by 20 percent at retail stores in the country on Sunday (January 5, 2020), around four days after the prices rose in the international market amid a looming supply shortage. Users have been paying an additional Tk 200 per 12kg cylinder.”
“LPG prices went up in the international market on January 1. According to market players, the number of LPG users reached 20 million in the country last year. In the international market, the price of each tonne rose on January 1 to $589 from $440,” also read the report.
