Only the Awami League men and government high officials are getting gas connection in Rajshahi city, much to the dissatisfaction of the general people of the city.
The city dwellers protested at the partisan attitude and demanded supply
irrespective of the clients’ political connection.The Petrobangla chairman, Hossain Monsur, on Friday inaugurated the gas supply for household works in Rajshahi city.
In first phase only 32 people will got the gas connection and the Paschimanchal Gas Company Limited has already stared setting up the connection to the 32 houses.
But in the maiden phase the authorities have decided to provide the connection to people loyal to the Awami League and the 14-party alliance and government high officials living in the city.
The Petrobangla chairman on Friday inaugurated gas supply to the house of language movement veteran Abul Hossain, who is the convener of Nagarik Committee, a platform working in favour of Khairuzzaman Liton.
The second person to get the gas connection is freedom fighter Mir Iqbal, senior vice-president of city Awami League, who is residing at Motpukur area in the city, and the third person is brother of local lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha.
Beside this, Rajshahi city unit Awami League president Bajlur Rahman, Rajshahi district Awami League general secretary and state minister for industry Omar Faruk Choudhury, Rajshahi range deputy inspector general of police, Rajshahi divisional commissioner, deputy commissioner, police super, civil surgeon and some relatives of AL leader AKH Khairuzzaman Liton are among the 32 people to get the connection.
Abul Kalam Azad, resident at ward 10, said the authorities should supply gas without considering the political affiliation of the people.
Rohima Begum of Sagorpara in the city said now the authorities were supplying gas to the pro-AL people.
‘If BNP-backed candidate wins the mayoral race, the authorities will supply gas to the pro-BNP people. But what is for the general people?’ she questioned.
Mizanur Rahman Minu, former mayor of Rajshahi, told New Age that the then prime minister, Khaleda Zia, took the first initiative to supply gas to the Rajshahi city.
The present government has just continued the initiative and opened the supply work. It is a matter of regret that the authorities are supplying gas only to the houses of ruling party men, he said.
When contacted managing director of Paschimanchol Gas Company Limited, a concern of Petrobangla, Hossain Ali, told New Age that step by step all the city dwellers would get gas connection. ‘So, there is nothing to be worried.’
Courtesy of New Age
