“The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Bill-2020 which was placed in Parliament on Tuesday has manifested that the present government is not only an enemy of people but also a cruel and imprudent regime,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

He further said, “Passing this bill to increase the tariffs of electricity and fuel frequently in a year means to push the poor towards meeting the watery grave. We strongly condemn the bill. We urge the ruling party not to pass it in Parliament. Otherwise, we’ll be forced to launch a strong movement during this corona period.”

The BNP leader came up with the remarks at a virtual press briefing from the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

On Tuesday, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid placed the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in Parliament to empower the BERC to make any change in tariff more than once in every financial year.

Currently, the law permits BERC to make any change in tariff once in a financial year.

Rizvi said the government is trying to fill the empty coffers by collecting money from people through increasing the prices of electricity and fuel more than once a year.

“Even at this time of corona pandemic, they (govt) are collecting money exploiting and sucking the blood of jobless and incomeless people,” he alleged.

The BNP leader said the low-income people have been left in the lurch due to the harassment of the ghost electricity bills. “The country’s people will be pushed into a hell if the prices of electricity and fuel are frequently raised in every financial year.”

He said the government has become desperate to realise money from people like a drug addict in this critical time of the country.

Rizvi criticised  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for what he said making ‘indecent and untrue’ remarks in Parliament on Tuesday about BNP founder Ziaur Rahman involving him with the murder of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “We denounce her comments in this regard.”