BANGLADESH is currently grappling with a significant threat to its rural electrification program, one that strikes at the heart of national stability.
A vernacular newspaper on Saturday reported since January 28, a faction of officials and employees from various Palli Bidyut Samitis (PBS) under the guise of a central committee has been conspiring to destabilize the emergency electricity sector.
The report added in collusion with domestic and international groups and backed by former deposed ministers and MPs from past dictatorships, they have launched destructive actions that not only aim to cripple the power system but also undermine the authority of the interim government. We must say these activities are not just reprehensible but dangerously a plot of treason against the state.
The ongoing disruption of electricity services, exemplified by the PBS blackout program, has placed countless citizens in distress. Cutting off power in multiple districts has left hospitals, industries, and daily life in chaos. Reports of PBS employees collaborating with foreign entities and benefactors from the previous government to orchestrate deliberate power outages are particularly alarming.
This is not a simple protest; this is a calculated move to destabilise the country and create public resentment against the interim government. In light of these events, we must ask the authority: who truly benefits from such an orchestrated campaign of chaos?
It is no secret that many of these actions are politically motivated. Allegations that PBS officials appointed during the fascist Awami League era spearheaded this unrest and organized a long march toward Dhaka to undermine the government add fuel to an already volatile situation.
Moreover, the involvement of a neighbouring country and some of its big conglomerates who have power businesses in Bangladesh further complicates the situation, exposing the power sector to international manipulation.
We thank the interim government for demonstrating a commitment to addressing the legitimate grievances of PBS employees. Several critical demands have been acknowledged, such as the unification of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) and PBS under a single service code and the regularisation of contractual employees. The government must remain firm in upholding discipline within the sector, while at the same time ensuring that genuine demands are addressed through dialogue and negotiation.
The claim that international agencies are involved in destabilising Bangladesh’s power sector is serious and warrants immediate government scrutiny. National sovereignty must not be compromised under any circumstances.