A gas station in Dhaka stormed by bikers before a rise in fuel prices, August 5, 2022 (AFP / Munir uz zaman)
Petrol stations across Bangladesh were packed by thousands on Saturday, hours before drastic fuel price hikes took effect.
The government of Bangladesh announced on Friday that the price of gasoline would increase by 51.7% and that of diesel by 42.5% on Sunday at 00:00.
Faced with the crowds, several service stations have closed, and sporadic demonstrations have broken out.
In Sylhet, in the northeast of the country, some retailers tried to impose the price hike immediately after the announcement, police commissioner Md. Nisharul Arif told AFP. “People gathered and protested in front of all the gas stations in the city,” he said.
Further protests were reported in several other cities in Bangladesh.
Energy Minister Nasru Hamid said the decision was due to rising oil prices in world markets.
“Some adjustments had to be made in view of the global situation. If the situation normalizes, fuel prices will be revised accordingly,” he said.
© 2022 AFP
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