The affected officials and employees of the Rural Electricity Authority (Palli Bidyut Samity) have demanded the withdrawal of fault cases filed against them and their reinstatement in their jobs.
These demands were made at a press conference held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Tuesday.
The event was attended by Palli Bidyut AGM and victimized officers Abdul Hakim and Md Salahuddin, as well as DGM and victimized officers Md Rahat and Asaduzzaman Bhuiyan, among others.
They also called for reforms to resolve the crisis within the REB-PBS by eliminating dualism and merging the two entities.
Additionally, they urged the authorities to regularize the employment of contractual workers, put an end to repression and mistreatment by the Rural Electrification Board (REB), address electricity inequality between rural and urban areas, prevent corruption, and ensure accountability.
The speakers said: “We have called for an end to the 47-year-old flawed model of reform and dualism and have withdrawn all forms of protests in good faith, trusting the government. However, the Rural Electrification Board (REB) continues to oppress us through legal cases, dismissals, and forced transfers. In this regard, a memorandum bearing the signatures of 30,000 employees of the Rural Electricity Association was submitted to the electricity adviser on January 20, with copies sent to the chief adviser and the electricity secretary.”
The affected employees further added: “After spending nearly three months in prison, we are now free on bail. However, REB and Palli Bidyut Samity officials continue to subject us to various forms of punishment, including temporary suspensions, stand releases, OSD (Officers on Special Duty) status, and forced transfers to locations 500–600 kilometres away from our home districts.”
Despite the fact that no protest programs were conducted at the field level by the Rural Electricity Association, the REB allegedly misrepresented the situation to the country’s highest policymakers.
On October 16, without prior notice, the REB dismissed 10 officials and, on the same day and night, filed a sedition case against them.
According to the employees, since December 15, more than 500 officers and workers have been punitively transferred in just one month.
Moreover, while the positions of line crew level-1 and billing assistants among contractual employees have been regularized, those of metre readers, messengers, and line workers remain unregularized.
Addressing further grievances, the employees mentioned that on Monday, a billing assistant from the Pirojpur Rural Electrification Association was dismissed without notice due to his Facebook posts, likes, and comments—an example, they claim, of the extreme level of repression faced by employees within the organization.
“We humbly urge the government to intervene and put an end to such unjust actions by the REB, withdraw the false cases against us, and reinstate those who have been unfairly dismissed,” they added.
It is important to note that 45,000 officers and employees of 80 rural electricity associations are responsible for providing electricity to approximately 140 million people, covering 80% of the country.
The movement initially began with two primary demands: the implementation of uniform employment rules starting in January 2024 and the regularization of contractual and irregular employees engaged in emergency services.
These demands were made to address rampant corruption within the regulatory body, the Rural Electrification Board, as well as issues such as consumer suffering caused by the purchase of low-quality equipment and the construction of substandard power lines.
Furthermore, employees criticized the formulation of policies by individuals lacking field-level work experience.