Fuel, Power Price Adjustments Unlikely to Affect Public Transport Fares: Minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan and the ministry’s adviser Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman have said that the recent fuel price adjustments will not lead to higher public transport fares, while nearly 65 percent of electricity consumers will remain unaffected by the latest power tariff revisions.

The remarks were made during an emergency press briefing held on Saturday at the conference room of the Department of Information following the government's recent decisions on electricity and fuel price adjustments.

During the briefing, the minister and adviser explained the rationale, scope, and nature of the revised electricity and fuel prices before responding to questions from journalists. Also present at the event was Deputy Chief Information Officer Mohammad Fakhrul Islam.

Officials stated that public transportation primarily operates on diesel fuel, whereas the recent price increase applies to octane and petrol, which are mainly used by private vehicles. As a result, they argued that the increased fuel costs would not affect public transport fares, nor would they significantly influence the prices of transported goods or essential commodities.

According to the briefing, the overall impact on low-income households is expected to be minimal.

Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said the current government has inherited the burden of various challenges stemming from corruption, money laundering, and other irregularities that occurred during previous administrations.

He added that the government is working to establish transparency in governance while addressing the consequences of past mismanagement. According to the minister, earlier governments prioritized import-dependent policies, and had greater emphasis been placed on domestic production, the current challenges in the power and energy sectors might have been avoided.

Meanwhile, Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman said electricity tariffs would remain unchanged for residential consumers using up to 75 units per month. He noted that although the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission approved power tariff adjustments through its regulatory hearing process, government directives ensure that approximately 65 percent of consumers will continue paying existing rates.

He said the government remains mindful of protecting ordinary citizens from additional financial pressure while addressing the financial realities of the power sector and the growing subsidy burden.

According to the adviser, the government will need to allocate approximately Tk 41,000 crore in subsidies in the upcoming budget to support electricity generation and supply operations.

Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman said the price adjustments are intended to gradually reduce the long-term subsidy burden and improve the sustainability of the power sector. At the same time, he emphasized that the government remains committed to safeguarding the purchasing power of low-income and vulnerable populations.

DBTech/SI/MUIM/OR