One is punished for another’s sin!

LOCAL media reported that a day labourer was allegedly sent to jail on Wednesday for not paying electricity bill of Tk 4007, even though his house at Mochagora village in Muradnagar upazila in Cumilla district had no electrical line. On Thursday evening, Chief Judicial Magistrate granted him bail after hearing a writ petition filed by a BLAST lawyer.
We are surprised how a case could be filed against a man charging electricity bill who had actually no electricity connection. Most surprisingly, how he could be sent to jail in this meritless case. Victim’s wife told the newsmen that her husband and some other neighbouring families of Mochagora village had applied for electricity connection at Palli Bidyut Samity-1 four years ago. The victim also paid Tk 4,000 to a sub-contractor of Palli Bidyut Samity. But he demanded Tk 15,000, which the victim and other applicants could not able to pay. Victim’s wife also alleged that the eclectic connection was actually given to a neighbour’s house.
On the other hand, Sub-contractor of Palli Bidyut Samity said he did the electric wiring in victim’s house around two years ago but he took off all the wirings from his house when he refused to pay the amount demanded. According to Palli Bidyut Samity-1, the connection that victim had applied for has been given to another man’s house on March 22, 2015. In victim’s application his photo was replaced by other applicant. Seventeen months worth of bills had not been paid for the connection, for which AGM of Palli Bidyut Samity-1, filed a case with a local court against victim to realise the amount of the bills of Tk 4007. Following the court’s order, police arrested the victim and sent him to jail.
It can be termed as the symbolic incident of the power sector’s chronic irregularities. This story explains clearly how the administration is functioning in the rural level in the country. It also gives focus into the depth and shows the aggressiveness of the corruption cycle where a day labourer also cannot get escape from it.