Condemning the Power Development Board’s decision to increase electricity tariff, the BNP yesterday termed the decision as ‘extreme level of indiscrimination’ and warned of waging tough resistance against the decision.
“After assuming the office since 2009, price of electricity had been hiked several times and extra burden was put upon the common consumers. Government’s close aides destroyed the power sector, looting thousands of crores of taka through rental and quick rental projects,” said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of the party, in a statement.
“The government has been repeatedly taking decisions against the common man, ignoring people’s interests, and such actions have completely isolated it from the people.”
The BNP leader alleged that per unit electricity price for irrigation has been hiked 60% to destroy the agriculture sector.
“The government has no people’s mandate and has no accountability to the people,” he said.
Issuing a note of warning, Fakhrul said if the PDB’s proposal was implemented, the BNP-led 19 party alliance will wage tough resistance.
Meanwhile, Communists Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) yesterday staged a sit-in in front of Energy Regulatory Commission in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area protesting electricity price hike.
CPB President Mujahidul Islam Selim and BSD General Secretary Khalequzzaman led the programme. Among others CPB leaders Sazzad Zahir Chandan, Ahsan Habib Lablu, the SPB leaders Bazlur Rashid Firoz and Razekuzzaman Ratan spoke.