Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has recommended raising the electricity tariff by 57.83 per cent.
However, Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has termed the BERC's recommendation of power price hike as "illogical."
The BERC technical committee made the recommendation at a public hearing held at BIAM Foundation auditorium in the capital on Wednesday (May 18).
The BERC technical committee recommended to hike power price by 57.83 per cent against the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB)'s proposal of raising the power tariff by 65.57 per cent.
The BERC technical committee recommended increasing the wholesale power price by Tk 2.99 per unit against PDB's proposal of raising it by Tk 3.39 per unit.
Currently, the PDB sells wholesale power at Tk 5.17 per unit, while the government gives subsidy of Tk 3.39 to it.
But, the PDB proposed to increase the price by Tk 8.56 per unit without any subsidy and the BERC recommended the tariff hike by Tk 8.16.
The PDB chairman, directors and its senior officials of different levels, and BERC chairman and its members were present, among others, at the public hearing.
Meanwhile, the CAB alleged that the BERC had made the recommendation to increase power tariff irrationally.
It also alleged that the PDB claimed high expenses in producing electricity using fuel oil and reducing its dependence on gas supply.