Four demands regarding the power sector, including the scrapping of prepaid meters
Representational image. Collected.
Citing allegations of consumer harassment and exploitation, the National Committee to Protect Electricity Consumers' Rights has called for the cancellation of prepaid electricity meters and the publication of a white paper on spending, revenue and corruption in the power sector.
The organization also demanded the restoration of the previous digital meters, lower electricity prices, and an end to initiatives to privatize the power sector.
The demands were raised Saturday at a roundtable discussion titled "Four-Point Demand, Including Cancellation of Prepaid Meters Causing Consumer Harassment and Exploitation and Publication of a White Paper on Expenditure, Allocation and Corruption in the Power Sector." The event was held at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia Auditorium of the National Press Club at 10 a.m.
The meeting was chaired by Advocate Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, convener of the National Committee to Protect Electricity Consumers' Rights, and moderated by the organization's member-secretary, Advocate Palash Kanti Nag.
At the meeting, Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna said the current government was raising the prices of essential goods, fuel and electricity to cover a large budget deficit. He accused the government of unfairly and unjustifiably increasing the tax burden on the public.
Qafi Ratan, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, said the government was attempting to sell off major heavy industries and factories while disregarding the interests of the country and its people. As part of the same effort, he said, the government was moving toward privatizing the power sector instead of ensuring affordable and uninterrupted services.
Bajlur Rashid Firoz, general secretary of the Bangladesh Socialist Party (Basad), said advanced and modern technology alone did not necessarily serve the public interest. What mattered, he said, was who controlled the technology and whose interests it served.
"We do not want technology that exploits the people," he said. "Considering the public's suffering, the government should immediately cancel the prepaid meter project."
Moshahida Ritu, a University of Dhaka professor, said people needed to unite against irregularities, corruption and mismanagement across the power sector.
"There is no alternative to struggle if we want to ensure people's right to electricity services," she said.
Shuvo Kibria, a member of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said a case concerning corruption in the prepaid meter project was pending with the Anti-Corruption Commission.
"If corruption cannot be eliminated, no development plan will benefit the people," he said.
Others who took part in the discussion included Manzur Alam Mithu, a member of the Central Study Circle Forum of the Communist Movement of Bangladesh; Harun-or-Rashid, general secretary of the Central Committee of BSD (Mahbub); Iqbal Kabir Jahid, general secretary of the Revolutionary Communist League of Bangladesh; Advocate Mahbubur Rahman Masum, former president of the Narayanganj Press Club and chief adviser to the Narayanganj Citizens' Rights Forum; Shawkat Hossain Ahmed, chief adviser to the National Committee to Protect Electricity Consumers' Rights; and SM Sajim Ahmed, organizing secretary of the Narayanganj Citizens' Rights Forum.
At the meeting, speakers also demanded the withdrawal of all cases they described as false that had been filed against leaders of the movement opposing prepaid meters.
