The Electricity Consumers Forum staged a siege program at the Nesco office in Rangpur on Wednesday, demanding the cancellation and removal of prepaid meters and the supply of postpaid meters for new electricity connections. The protesters also demanded the reinstatement of previous digital postpaid meters and submitted a memorandum containing hundreds of applications addressed to Nesco's chief engineer.
On Wednesday afternoon, the siege program was carried out at the Nesco office premises near Khamar intersection on College Road in Rangpur city. Earlier, two processions started from Shapla Chattar and Lalbag areas of the city and gathered at the Nesco office compound. Presided over by Electricity Consumers Forum President Professor Delwar Hossain, the rally was addressed by advisers Anwar Hossain Bablu, Mirza Babur Babul, member secretary Ahsanul Arifintitu, Shahidul Islam Suman, and affected consumers Naznin Begum, Shahanara Khatun, Shafiqul Islam, and Raja Mia, among others.
Affected consumer Shahanara Khatun stated that her electricity usage has not increased, yet her expenses tripled after a prepaid meter was installed. Another consumer, Shafiqul Islam, alleged that Nesco personnel threatened his wife with a fine and a case if she refused the meter installation in his absence. Forum convener Professor Delwar Hossain accused Nesco of imposing the meters against public will and demanded an immediate end to the project.
Previously, on Tuesday evening, the National Committee for the Protection of Electricity Consumers' Rights held a torchlight procession and protest rally at the Rangpur Press Club area, presenting a six-point demand including the cancellation of prepaid meters, uninterrupted power supply at affordable prices, a white paper on corruption in the power sector, and the withdrawal of false cases against consumers.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Rangpur Bureau • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
