People can no longer afford pricier electricity: BNP

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir claimed that the people are repeatedly paying the prices of the government's limitless irregularities and plundering in the power sector.

In a statement protesting power tariff hike, he on Wednesday urged the government to revoke its "unjustified decision" of hiking the power prices, saying people will no longer be able to bear the burden of the increased power tariffs.

“People are already going through ordeals due to the government’s failure, corruption, looting, mismanagement, and wrong policies. Amid such a situation, frequently increasing the prices of power is an anti-people, strange and unjustified decision of the government,” Fakhrul said.

Just 19 days ago, he said the price of power at the retail level was increased by the government.

“The hike in the prices of power further at the retail and wholesale levels just after 19 days is a manifestation of the anti-people character of the government,” he said.

The BNP leader feared that the prices of all essential items will go up further with the fresh hike in power tariffs. “People can no longer bear this burden.”

He said the current government has been frequently increasing the prices of electricity, gas, fuel, edible oil, fertilizers, and other daily necessities as it was not elected by the people. “The government has no regrets about this. Rather it’s telling lies shamelessly in favour of these imprudent moves.”

Fakhrul said the Awami League government has increased electricity prices 11 times in the last 14 years.

He also termed the government’s move as a subtle trick to take the authority of hiking the tariffs of power and fuel from the hands of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission.

The BNP leader alleged that the government has been taking away money from people’s pockets by raising power tariffs only because of plundering and corruption of the government and its followers. “People have now woken up against the government.”

Fakhrul said their party will hold rallies in all divisional cities on February 4 (Saturday) to mount pressure on the government to accept their 10-point demand and lower the prices of power, gas, and daily essentials.

He called upon people from all walks of life to register their protest against the government’s anti-people decisions by making their programme a success with their spontaneous participation.

The government on Tuesday increased the retail power price by 5% and the bulk price by over 8% just 19 days after it had hiked the retail price on January 12 this year.