Officers, employees of the Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) have besieged the headquarters of Rural Electrification Board (REB) in Dhaka’s Nikunja area demanding an end to discrimination and implementation of uniform employment rules and regularization of irregular employees through merger.

However, through army’s mediation, the demonstrators ended the siege after the REB authorities agreed to meet some of the demands including suspending any move to transfer any of the PBS staff until a report of the Power Division was received on the issue.

There are 80 PBSes across the country that are rural electricity cooperatives which run under the administrative control of the REB.

Several thousands of workers and employees of the PBS took part in the agitation while the army was deployed to ensure security of the head office.

They alleged that they have been subjected to discrimination by the rules of the PBS and REB despite having the same qualifications for the same nature of the jobs.

They said they have systematically written to REB multiple times about their demands, but REB, which is the regulator of the PBS, did not heed to their calls. Instead they have been subjected to repression and exploitation.

The officers and employees of the PBS are being harassed in various ways including temporary suspension, they alleged.

The protestors said that when the students of the country have been united against discrimination and are trying to build a Bangladesh free from dictatorship, corruption and discrimination, the REB continued to exploit and oppress the officers and employees of the PBS.

A source said the demonstrators were finally invited to discuss with REB Chairman Ajay Kumar Chakraborty through army mediation and an understanding was made between the two sides and demonstrators left the area by about 4 pm.

Despite repeated attempts, REB chairman Ajay Kumar Chakraborty could not be reached for his comments over the issue.