Rangpur Metropolitan Nagorik Committee held a human chain and rally on Saturday, demanding an end to the installation of prepaid meters.
The protest took place in front of Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) building on College Road area in the city around 11 AM
The rally was organized to protest against the installation of prepaid meters, which, according to the committee, are causing harassment to the public and ignoring their interests.
The event was chaired by Advocate Palash Kanti Nag, secretary of the committee, and was attended by various political leaders, social activists, and journalists.
Key speakers included political figures Amin Uddin, ABM Masihur Rahman, Nur-e-Azam Dipu, Mehedi Hasan Toru, Redwan Ferdous, Advocate Naresh Chandra Sarkar, social worker Swapan Chandra Roy, poet and writer Ahmed Mawdood, labor rights activist Shobuj Roy, and others.
The speakers criticized the NESCO authorities for continuing the installation of prepaid meters without considering the opinions of electricity consumers. Under the prepaid system, consumers must pay in advance for electricity and they can use power only until the prepaid card balance is exhausted. This, the speakers argue, is incompatible with the concept of a service-oriented institution and will create further harassment and difficulties for consumers.
They also pointed out that during the tenure of Awami League government, electricity prices have been repeatedly increased, and billions of taka have been siphoned off from the electricity sector under the names of rental and quick rental power plants, burdening the general public.
The leaders stressed that the government is responsible for ensuring uninterrupted electricity services for all citizens. However, instead of improving the situation, the government has imposed several anti-people decisions, including the controversial prepaid meter system.
The protesters demanded that NESCO immediately halt the installation of prepaid meters, urging the government's Ministry of Power and Energy to take effective action. They also called for the publication of a white paper on the past irregularities and corruption in the electricity sector. The speakers warned that if their demands are not met, they would escalate the protest into a larger movement.
