Jamaat calls for nationwide protests today to protest electricity price hike

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is going to hold nationwide protests today (Thursday) including in the capital Dhaka to protest the recent increase in electricity prices at both wholesale and retail levels.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, party Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar announced the program. He said the decision would put additional pressure on the common citizens who are already struggling due to the rising prices of daily necessities.

He said that under the new tariff structure, the wholesale electricity price has been increased from Tk 7 to Tk 8.39 per unit, while the retail rate has been increased from Tk 9.11 to Tk 10.63 per unit. He also mentioned the increase in transmission charges, which, according to him, will further burden the consumers.

Parwar alleged that inefficiency, corruption and capacity payments related to quick rental power plants have played a role in the repeated price adjustments in the power sector. He argued that such decisions reflect a lack of accountability to the people.

The party said protest rallies and demonstrations would also be held in various districts and metropolitan areas as part of a nationwide programme demanding the withdrawal of price hikes and reforms in the power sector.