The work on installing pre-paid electricity meters nationwide is going on at a snail’s pace with only about 10 per cent of the country’s consumers covered in over a decade. So far only 46,77,658 consumers have received prepaid meters against a total countrywide consumers of 4,15,49,092, which lags far behind the government’s much-hyped promise of accelerating the process. This figure was revealed by the latest government document, titled: “Bangladesh Economic Review 2022”, published by the Ministry of Finance on the occasion of the national budget for FY2022-23. According to this review and other documents of six power distribution entities, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has been leading in installing the pre-paid meters. It has installed the highest number of 14,46,414 meters for its consumers while its total number of its consumers is 32,36,886. The coverage of prepaid meters is nearly 45 per cent in the BPDB distribution areas. Read: Electricity demand in Rajshahi region to go three-times higher in five years: Nasul Hamid However, the BPDB is the principal organization in the country’s power sector with its prominent role to be a single buyer of electricity from the private sector as well as the main power generation entity. It has been operating as a distribution entity in many areas across the country as well. The BPDB is followed by the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) securing the highest position in terms of numbers in installing a total 13,10,568 pre-paid meters for its customers. But in terms of percentage in the prepaid meter coverage, the BREB has been the lowest as it has the largest consumer base having a total customers of 3,33,23171. The prepaid meter coverage is less than four per cent.