Thakurgaon: Extending his personal support to the half-day hartal to be enforced by left parties in the capital on Tuesday protesting the fresh gas price increase, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said their party may also support it.

“We consider the hartal is a token a protest (against gas price hike). So, I think all should support the hartal and take part in it,” he said.

The BNP leader came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after attending the Akheri Munajat of Ijetam here.

Asked whether it is his personal or party’s support to the shutdown, Fakhrul said BNP may officially announce its support to it.

Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) on Friday announced to enforce a half-day hartal on Tuesday in Dhaka city protesting the ‘anti-people decision’ of raising the gas prices.

On Thursday, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) raised the gas prices for all consumers which will come into effect in two phases.

Opposing the government decision, Fakhrul said the fresh gas price hike will affect the economic activities and hamper the growth of different sectors. “The overall cost of living of people will increase in many ways due to the gas price hike.”

He said the government is imposing its anti-mass decisions on people one after another, putting them in an adverse situation.

The BNP leader urged the government to shelve its plan to raise the gas and power tariffs.