The leaders of the Communist Party of Bangladesh on Friday at a protest rally in Dhaka called on the Awami League government not to increase train fares as it would further the sufferings of common people struggling due to price hikes of essential commodities.
The government last increased train fares by 7.23 per cent on average in February 2016.
The CPB organised the rally, which was chaired by the president of the party Mohammad Shah Alam, on the Kamalapur Railway Station premises protesting against the proposed increase in train fares scheduled to be effective from Saturday.
Shah Alam said the government was undertaking different big infrastructural projects, which were not usable to further the welfare of people.
鈥楾he government has failed to control syndicates. Therefore, failed to prevent price hikes of the essential commodities,鈥� said Shah Alam.
He called on the government to refrain from increasing train fares and said it would increase the suffering of the people.
He called on the opposition political parties to form an alternative left political force and wage movements against the ruling Awami League government to compel it to resign from power.
General secretary of the party Ruhin Hossain Prince said that his party would wage tougher movements if the government increased train fares.
Ruhin Hossain Prince said that Bangladesh Railway was a corrupt organisation and he called on the government to take immediate steps to stop corruption.
He also demanded the publication of a white paper on the corruption of the organisation.
Assistant general secretary of the CPB Mihir Ghosh termed the issue of increasing train fares again as anti-people.
Central leader of the party Joly Talukder called on the government to take steps to expand railway services to benefit the common people.
Besides, the CPB central leaders Anwar Hossain Reza and KM Ruhul Amin also spoke at the rally.
The rally was followed by a procession that paraded different streets on the railway station premises.
