Ruhin Hossain Prince, former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), on Thursday strongly criticized the proposals to increase electricity prices, saying that the move is akin to picking the pockets of low-income people.
He made the remarks while speaking at a public hearing on proposals on bulk, transmission, and retail electricity tariffs, held at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in the capital.
Criticizing a proposal that sets a uniform bill for users consuming 0 to 75 units of electricity, the CPB leader asked, "Since this proposal has been made, I would like to ask how many consumers from the 0-50 unit bracket have upgraded to the 75-unit bracket? That would provide an index showing whether people's income has actually increased."
He added that the proposals presented at the hearing primarily target the pockets of the poor and lower-income demographic.
Raising questions about system losses, Ruhin noted that while international standards allow for around 2 percent system loss, Bangladesh's system loss still hovers around 8 percent.
"We want to empower the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) to reduce company-based crises caused by a rising dependency on imports. It may not be completely possible overnight, but it can be achieved gradually," he said.
He also rejected arguments made by rural electrification board’s officials equating village life with city life, stating that rural residents continuously try to be frugal to minimize their monthly bills, unlike urban areas where prepaid systems dominate.
The public hearing on raising retail electricity tariffs was held today (second day of hearing). The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) is conducting the hearing on proposals submitted by six power distribution companies of the country.
Earlier this month, PDB first submitted a proposal to hike bulk power prices. Subsequently, the distribution companies followed suit, seeking a proportional increase in retail prices.
In their proposals, the distribution companies cited record-high operating costs driven by the hike in bulk electricity prices, rising fuel oil costs, and the devaluation of the Bangladeshi Taka against the US dollar.
They argued that there is no alternative to increasing retail prices to bridge the massive deficit and maintain an uninterrupted power supply.
BERC also held a public hearing on PDB's proposed bulk electricity price hike yesterday (Wednesday).