Officers and employees of 80 Palli Bidyut Samity offices carried out their "March to Dhaka" program for the fifth day on Sunday with seven demands, including the resignation of the chairman, while the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) authorities called these demands and their program unreasonable and false.
The protesting officials and employees spoke at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.
They alleged that in order to stop their protest, there are various threats and intimidation being shown by the army and intelligence agencies.
Even the internet speed in the Shaheed Minar area was very slow, they added.
The officials and employees said that they will not stop their movement regardless of the threats or obstacles they might face.
The Palli Bidyut Samity provides customer service at the field level. The BREB has no involvement with customer service; they supply all the goods and build the lines.
The protesters said the goods they supply are of very poor quality, due to which system faults are frequent.
They said the result is power outages, causing suffering to the employees of the Samity and the customers.
They further said that customers also complain a lot due to the low-quality meters, for which the BREB is fully responsible.
But the customers do not know them, which is why the Samity is held accountable, they added.
They said that if, instead of the existing dual management, a single institution were run under the same principles, it would ensure greater accountability.
They believe that such a reform would benefit both consumers and electricity workers, making operations smoother.
They also stressed that avoiding the remnants of the British-era system is essential to ensure better and uninterrupted electricity service for the people of the country.
Ali Hasan Mohmmad Arif Hasan, former DGM of Lakshmipur Palli Bidyut Samity, dismissed while protesting at the Central Shaheed Minar last year, told Dhaka Tribune: "I was dismissed from my job last December on false charges. But they could not show any proof of the reason given for my dismissal and arrest.”
He added: “We have been continuing the movement since January 2024 to explain our proper job rights. For this, a committee was formed after August 5 with five VCs of five universities to verify whether our demands were justified or not.
"We got information that a meeting was also held at Bidyut Bhaban in February. But the report has not been published yet on the instructions of the BREB board members.”
Nayeb Ali, a meter reader from Kurigram Palli Bidyut Samity, said: "We have been continuing our agitation at the Central Shaheed Minar for the past four days. We will not move anywhere until our demands are met. Neither will our demands be met, nor will we die."
In this regard, Marufa Akhter, an official of the Palli Bidyut Samity Munshiganj, said: "We have been victims for the last 26 years. Repeatedly complaining has not helped. So I joined the movement after finishing my work. We will continue the movement until our demands are met."
Meanwhile, the protesting officers and employees issued urgent instructions that no attendance will be signed from Sunday and no information will be exchanged with the BREB.
Organizations working on labour rights, including the Ganosamhati Andolan and the Gono Odhikar Parishad, have already expressed solidarity with the Palli Bidyut Samity.
What BREB authorities are saying
Terming the demands of the protesting officers and employees of the Palli Bidyut Samity as unreasonable, BREB Member (Planning and Development) Md Shahidul Islam told Dhaka Tribune: "Although the Palli Bidyut Samity is under the BREB, their salary scale and other benefits are higher than ours.”
He added: “The highest salary for us here is Tk18,000, but an employee at the Palli Bidyut Samity gets Tk26,000 at the beginning. It is true that there is no job stability in these two posts of lineman and meter reader and wages are paid on the basis of daily work.
“The reason for not having job stability in these posts is that they are not appointed through examinations and no government job rules are followed. Therefore, there is no opportunity for job creation in these two posts."
He further said about the movement: "Under the leadership and instructions of Engineer Rajan, a blackout was carried out from the Palli Bidyut Samity 8 months ago, which was a very heinous act.”
He added: “However, since we came to know about this matter, we have sat in multiple meetings with the DCs and SPs of the districts, but to no avail. Rajan blacked out the entire country simultaneously through video calls.”
He further added: “It is not possible that they are saying that we are involved in this matter. Because their manpower is much more than ours. There is proof of this with the DGFI, the army, and the police. Still, they are carrying out this movement by resorting to lies and deception."
