BNP to stage demo Friday protesting power tariff hike

 

BNP will stage demonstrations across the country on Friday protesting the hike in power tariffs.

 

The demonstrations will be held in all the cities, district towns and upazila headquarters throughout the country.

 

BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in the capital on Thursday evening.

 

The BNP leader alleged that the government has to provide subsidy of thousands of crores taka to the power sector due to the setting up of rental and quick rental power plants by the relatives of the ruling party leaders.

 

“The hike in the electricity prices came to collect subsidy money exploiting the people. The ruling party men have already plundered thousands of crores of taka from the power sector,” he said.

 

Rizvi also termed ‘tantamount to blatant betray to the people’ the hike in the power tariffs ignoring the public opinions.

 

On Thursday, the government raised the power tariff by 6.96 percent on average at consumer levels with effect from the billing month of March 1.

 

Chairman of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) AR Khan announced the decision at a press briefing in the afternoon.

Source: UNB Connect