BNP acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday said the government is taking various measures to tackle the country's gas and fuel shortages, including allocating an additional Tk 40,000 crore for importing gas and fuel.

He said the government is ready to provide further subsidies, if necessary, to ease the ongoing energy crisis. “The country is facing gas and fuel shortages, but this is an international or global crisis,” he said.

Rizvi said the crisis cannot be resolved by any single country at this moment until the war between the United States and Iran ends.

He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is making continuous efforts to tackle the country's energy crisis. “The Prime Minister is working day and night to tackle this crisis,” he said.

The BNP leader was speaking to reporters after paying tribute to BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia at their graves at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital on the occasion of the 48th founding anniversary of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal.

On inflation, Rizvi said it declined in Bangladesh in August as the government took strong measures to keep the prices of essential commodities, particularly food items, under control.

“Due to the government’s strong intervention, the prices of goods, especially essential food items, did not increase much. As a result, inflation declined significantly in August,” he said.

The BNP leader said the government is intervening in the market to keep commodity prices stable so people can afford essential goods and food items based on their current income.

“During this period, after the monsoon, when autumn begins, prices of various commodities and food items such as vegetables, rice, pulses and salt generally rise,” he said.

Responding to a question about the attack on actress Azmeri Haque Badhan and celebrations by Awami League supporters, Rizvi strongly condemned the incident.

“Those who celebrate such an attack are savages and barbarians. Those who attack women are cowards. What can I say about those who are carrying out the responsibilities of cowards?” he said.

The BNP leader said attacking a woman who contributed to the July movement is one of the most despicable and cowardly acts. “This is the most hateful, despicable and cowardly act,” he said.

Various units of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal joined the programme from Dhaka and surrounding districts under the leadership of its President Afroza Abbas and General Secretary Sultana Ahmed.