Terming the fuel price hike decision an anti-people one, opposition BNP Saturday alleged that the government had to go for that due to its massive corruption, looting and mismanagement, reports UNB.

"Stop corruption and looting public money, and enhance your (govt) competence, then you won't have to raise the prices of petroleum," said BNP standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed.

He made the remarks while addressing a meeting at the National Press Club in the city. Prajanma Academy, a pro-opposition platform, arranged the programme demanding the release of BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun.

Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, vice chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council, Swadhinata Forum President Abu Naser Rahamat Ullah, among others, addressed the programme held with Prajanma Academy president Kalam Farayezi in the chair.

The government Thursday raised the petroleum prices with effect from zero hours Friday, the second time after December 30, 2011.

The prices of diesel and kerosene have been raised by Tk 7 per litre while those of octane and petrol by Tk 5 per litre. The petroleum prices were last raised in November 2011. Protesting the fuel price hike, Barrister Moudud said the prices of essentials will go up following the government's anti-people decision.

Mentioning that the Awami League government has increased fuel prices for five times during its present tenure, the BNP leader said the new price hike will cast a serious negative impact on the economy.

He termed the installation of quick rental power plants a wrong decision of the government and said it was done only to plunder public money. "The government is giving crores of taka in subsidy for the quick rental power plants because of its wrong decision."

The BNP policymaker said the opposition will be compelled to take non-cooperation programme if the government again increases fuel prices and power tariff. Barrister Moudud came down hard on Finance Minister AMA Muhith for terming the opposition's hartal call a crazy decision, saying: "He talks too much. Watch your own face in the mirror and ask yourself which of our remarks was appreciated by people in the last four years." Earlier, Friday, responding to a question from journalists about today's hartal called by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, Muhith said: "It's a decision came from madness. It can't be the decision of a responsible political party." The BNP-led 18-party alliance Friday called a country-wide dawn-to-dusk hartal for today in protest against the fuel price hike.

BNP coordinator Tariqul Islam announced the shutdown at a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan central office, claiming that the hartal has been called in the interest of people.

Barrister Moudud alleged that some ministers have announced to thwart the 18-party's hartal. The ministers of the government are talking about resisting the hartal. "But thwarting today's hartal will be tantamount to resisting people as it's a programme of people from all walks of life."

He hoped that the shutdown programme will be a great success with the spontaneous participation of people in it.