Fuel Price Hike May Come Soon, Says Minister

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has indicated that the government may soon revise fuel prices to protect the country’s broader economic interests.

Speaking to journalists after an event at the Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) in Anwara, Chattogram, on Friday, he said the government could not continue absorbing the rising cost of fuel imports indefinitely.

“If the state treasury keeps shrinking because of expensive fuel imports, development work and social welfare programmes will suffer,” the minister said.

He added that, in the national interest, the government would eventually have to take a decision on adjusting fuel prices.

The minister also warned that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East had increased the risk of disruption to global oil and gas supplies.

As Bangladesh depends heavily on energy imports from the region, he said the government has been forced to procure fuel from alternative sources at higher prices to maintain uninterrupted supply.