Power tariff being raised frequently to manage corruption: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday alleged that the government is frequently increasing the price of electricity to manage corruption in the power sector.

"The power tariff was increased by 5% last night which is for the third time rise in a few months. The main reason behind it is that government needs to take money from the people's pockets to meet the ever-increasing cost of corruption in the power sector,” he said.

Speaking at a views exchange meeting, the BNP leader also said the government has been increasing the price of electricity step by step only because of corruption and plundering public money.

He said the power tariff hike is badly affecting the country’s economy. “That’s why the production cost of all goods and factory products is increasing. The cost of living for people is increasing, putting huge pressure on them.”

As part of their ongoing talks with former and current local government representatives of the party, BNP top leaders had the views-exchange meeting with the party’s current and former Union Parishads’ chairmen under the Barishal division at its chairperson’s Gulshan office.

On February 23, the BNP initiated such talks with the first meeting with the party’s present and ex-UP chairmen under Rangpur division.

The electricity tariff was raised further at both retail levels on Tuesday night with effect from Wednesday (March 1). This has been the third time in a row in two months.