Beddution speeches cannot solve power crisis: Mannan

Citizens’ Unity President Mahmudur Rahman Mannan has said speeches and political programmes alone cannot solve the country’s ongoing power crisis, stressing the need for practical measures to increase electricity generation.

“If factories remain closed, what is the point of making speeches? If there is no production and people have no jobs, what is the benefit of announcing big programmes?” he said while speaking at a memorial meeting in Mymensingh on Tuesday.

The Mymensingh district unit of Citizens’ Unity organised the memorial meeting for Nazrul Islam, a central committee member and convener of the district unit, at the Bhasha Shaheed Abdul Jabbar Auditorium of Mymensingh District Council.

Mannan said the power crisis was forcing factories to shut down and creating difficulties for farmers in rural areas. Without reliable electricity, neither production nor employment could increase, he added.

He proposed using the rooftops of homes and other buildings to generate solar power. Families unable to afford solar panels could be provided with bank loans, he said.

Under the proposed system, families would use part of the electricity generated by rooftop solar panels and sell the surplus to the government. The earnings could then be used to repay the loans while adding electricity to the national grid.

“If Grameen Bank can provide loans to people without money and recover those loans, then people can also be given loans to generate electricity,” Mannan said.

He said expanding rooftop solar power could also create significant employment opportunities through the installation and maintenance of solar panels and related activities.

Mannan criticised the government’s energy policy, saying the country had not taken sufficient steps to explore its domestic gas potential. He also blamed excessive dependence on imported energy for contributing to the current crisis.

However, he said blaming the previous government alone would not solve the problem. “The main question now is how quickly electricity generation can be increased and people’s suffering reduced,” he said.

Mannan also criticised calls for people to wait up to two years for the power situation to return to normal. People and industries could not be expected to endure such a crisis for that long, he said, adding that the problem could be addressed in less time through effective measures.

He also called for greater use of domestic gas and other energy sources alongside expanding solar power generation.

Referring to the loss of lives during the July movement, Mannan said the sacrifice of people had created an aspiration for change in the country. That change could not remain confined to political speeches and rallies, he said.

He called for practical solutions to people’s problems, including high prices, corruption and the power crisis, saying the benefits of the change for which people had sacrificed their lives must reach them.

Questioning the performance of the current government, Mannan said there were concerns about how much change had been achieved in line with people’s expectations. He urged the government to prioritise reducing corruption, controlling prices and restoring a stable power supply.

Mannan said Citizens’ Unity’s political slogan was “Change Bangladesh”, but it was not merely an election slogan. The party, he said, was working to bring about change through practical programmes.

He added that Citizens’ Unity did not engage in politics merely to gain power but sought to present realistic solutions to people and work with them to transform the country.

Citizens’ Unity General Secretary Shahidullah Kaiser spoke as a special guest at the meeting. Mymensingh district unit convener Anisur Rahman chaired the programme, moderated by district unit member secretary Hatem Rana.

SKS