BNP slams govt for power tariff rise, leftist parties call hartal on Nov 30

Different political parties including BNP and the left-leaning ones have protested government's latest move to hike electricity price.

The leftist political parties have declared to enforce an eight-hour hartal on Thursday next (November 30). The parties comprising Ganotantrik Bam Morcha, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Socialist Party of Bangladesh (BSD) jointly called the hartal.

The left-leaning organisations through a press release informed that the hartal would be enforced from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm on the day.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has strongly criticised the government’s decision to raise power tariff saying it is just a ploy for AL members to plunder public money.   

“I, on behalf of BNP, strongly condemn and protest the government’s move,” said the party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.

Rizvi said the government has increased the power tariff to exploit people as it has no responsibility towards them.

He also feared the fresh power hike will badly affect the industrial and agricultural sectors of the country, says a UNB report.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) raised power tariff by 5.3 per cent or Tk. 0.35 per unit on an average.

BERC Chairman Monwar Islam announced the decision, saying that the new tariff will come into effect from ensuing December.

On September 1, the price for electricity was raised by 2.93 per cent on an average.