PDB passing turbulent times

For the past three days, a section of PDB employees have been staging demonstrations, demanding the cancellation of the new company and the resignation of Nasrul Hamid, the state minister for power, energy and mineral resources. Stakeholders expressed concerns that the entire sector might face a disaster if the situation prevailed. The new distribution company was made functional with some of the PDB zones through the signing of a memorandum of understanding, as well as a power purchase and sales agreement. As per the agreement signed on August 1, the Rajshahi and Rangpur zones of PDB were now going to be run under the new company – North West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited. The PDB wants to transform itself into a corporation like Petrobangla. For that purpose, the PDB recently advertised for Expressions of Interest (EoI) from consultancy firms; five have submitted EoIs so far. Requests for Proposal (RFP) will now be sent to these firms and later one company will be selected to chalk out the plan for transforming the PDB. After turning the PDB into a corporation, all the power sector companies including Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco) and Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) will be brought under that corporation. Meanwhile, agitated employees of Jatiyo Bidyut Sramik League met with Nasrul Hamid in the state minister’s office, where they demanded that plans for the new company be scrapped. The state minister, however, reportedly replied that the new company would not be cancelled. Talking to reporters, Nasrul Hamid said the PDB would now only work as a power producing company, while the distribution tasks would be given to new companies. Mohammad Jahirul Islam Chowdhury, a leader of Jatyio Bidyut Sramik League, said the state minister has asked for more time until Saturday. If the new company is not cancelled by that time, new agitation programmes would be announced, Jahirul said.