Palli Bidyut officials demand reinstatement

Staff Reporter :

The victimised officers and employees of the Palli Bidyut Samiti (Rural Electrification Association) held a press conference demanding the withdrawal of cases filed against them and their reinstatement in jobs, along with four other demands.

The press conference was held on Tuesday morning at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, where they made these demands.

Their demands include withdrawal of cases and reinstatement of all officers and employees, avoiding double standards by either integrating the REB (Rural Electrification Board) and PBS (Palli Bidyut Samiti) or restructuring it like other distribution organizations, regularization of remaining contract-based or irregular employees, Stopping repression, harassment, and provocative actions by the REB against PBS officers and employees, formation of an independent commission to punish corrupt officials of the REB in the past.

At the press conference, a written statement was read by Abu Salam Jabel. Also present were Palli Bidyut Samiti AGM (O&M) Abdul Hakim, Md. Salahuddin, DGM Md. Rahat, Md. Asaduzzaman Bhuiyan, Sumaiya Akhter, and many other victimized officers and employees.

They outlined the background of their movement, stating that 80 Palli Bidyut Samitis employ 45,000 officers and employees, serving approximately 140 million people across 80% of the country.

Due to rampant corruption within the regulatory body, the Rural Electrification Board (REB), including the procurement of substandard materials and the construction of non-standard power lines, consumers have been suffering. Despite having no field experience, the REB drafts all policies, leading to inefficiencies.

To resolve the dual management structure of REB-PBS, the movement began in January 2024 with two key demands: implementing a unified service rule and regularizing contract-based/irregular employees engaged in emergency services.

They explained that memorandums were sent to policymakers, various phases of work abstentions were observed while maintaining customer service, long marches to the REB headquarters were conducted, and human chains were formed across the country.

Recognizing the validity of their demands, the government formed a nine-member reform committee in August, comprising representatives from the Power Division, REB, and PBS.

However, instead of cooperating with the government’s reform efforts, the REB recommended maintaining the existing structure. As a result, the committee was dissolved, and on October 23, the government reconstituted a five-member expert committee. However, nearly three and a half months have passed without the committee submitting its report.

They noted that while the committee’s work is ongoing and there is no field-level protest from PBS, the REB misled the highest levels of state policymakers, leading to a pre-planned crackdown. On October 16, the REB arbitrarily dismissed 10 PBS officers without notice and filed sedition charges against them overnight.

They further stated that the same individuals had been previously labeled as anti-development by the past government in May and were either stand-released or made OSD (Officer on Special Duty). The next morning, PBS officers were arrested, and another 14 officers and employees were dismissed without notice. Joint forces brutally beat and detained PBS officers and employees, causing widespread panic.

This, in turn, led to electricity disruptions in several places, which they claim was part of the REB’s pre-planned conspiracy to destabilize the country.
Subsequently, PBS authorities expressed regret over the unfortunate incidents and, trusting the committee formed by the interim government, announced the withdrawal of all protest programs through a press conference.