BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday described  the government's decision to hike the electricity tariff as 'anti-people'.

In a statement, he demanded the immediate cancellation of the decision.

"The government has taken the unjustified decision to increase the power tariff in the extreme distress of the people since it is unelected.  This is an imprudent and anti-people decision,” the BNP leader said.

He alleged that the government is raising the price of electricity step by step in the name of monthly price adjustment. “This is just a retail trick with the people."

Fakhrul called upon their party leaders and workers  and the common people to participate in the rally and procession programme in all cities and upazilas on January 16 to protest the power price hike decision.

The government on Thursday hiked the retail price of electricity by 5 percent, effective from January.

The last time the electricity price was hiked at retail level was in February 2020.

Fakhrul voiced concern that the power price was increased at a time when people's lives are in a state of disarray due to the extreme increase in the prices of all commodities, including rice, pulses, oil and sugar, when people's living expenses are increasing uncontrollably and when people are losing their jobs. “So, the power hike move will only intensify the suffering of people.”

He also said the fresh hike in the price of electricity at the retail and earlier at bulk level will increase the cost of living and the price of everything, including irrigation and the production cost in mills and factories.

The BNP leader alleged that the people are actually paying the price for unlimited corruption and irregularities in the power sector.

He said the government is taking money from people’s pockets as the cost of power generation has increased due to corruption, wastage and mismanagement.