Before the elections, workers in the readymade garment sector had launched a movement for salary increase. Every time workers have to take to the streets demanding increase in wages. There is no institutional arrangement here. This time too, instead of reaching a logical decision regarding wages, the owners' proposals were accepted. Meanwhile, police and armed forces together attacked the workers. Four laborers, including a woman, were shot dead and several others were injured. There has been no justice for all this.
While people are suffering losses due to rising prices of commodities, the prices of electricity and gas have been increased again. It is being said that so much subsidy cannot be given. IMF also says the same. Still, no initiative is being taken to solve the problem. A handful of companies have been paid more than a trillion taka over 10 years to keep their power plants idle. Production costs have increased as the energy and power sector has become debt dependent, import dependent, dependent on foreign companies and large local business groups and dependent on LNG, coal and nuclear power. And to meet these expenses, the price of gas and electricity is being increased at regular intervals.
If things continue like this, prices will keep rising. There are much easier and safer alternatives, but it would mean that some groups would not be able to amass such a large fortune in such a short period of time. This is why the wealth of the new 22 families of Bangladesh is the fastest growing in the world.
Meanwhile, people's life has become unbearable due to the continuous increase in the prices of essential commodities. A visit to various areas, streets, markets, restaurants and stations of Dhaka reveals a growing increase in the number of beggars. A large number of these are new. The crisis is increasing because the wealth of some people close to the government is increasing exponentially. There was little evidence of this in the affidavits of the candidates in the controversial election. After being elected without votes, his wealth has increased manifold in the last few years.