Tk 5.07bn power bill: Minister apologises to customer

Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku has apologised to a customer in Magura after she was issued an electricity bill of Tk 5.07 billion for using just 235 units of electricity in a month.

The minister personally called the customer, Aleya Khatun, on Wednesday morning and expressed regret over the ordeal caused by the unusually high bill, according to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

The ministry said necessary action would be taken over the incident.

The general manager of Magura Palli Bidyut Samity, Mohammad Mohitul Islam, was also suspended immediately following the incident.

Khatun, a resident of Kechuadubi village in Maghi Union of Magura Sadar upazila, was issued the bill for September. According to the bill, her electricity consumption was 235 units.

However, the demand charge alone was shown as Tk 4,826,963,422. After adding VAT and the meter charge, the total bill came to Tk 5,068,311,593.

The actual bill for 235 units should have been Tk 1,963.

The error was later corrected, and Khatun paid the revised bill.

The ministry has not yet disclosed the exact cause of the billing error or whether further disciplinary action will be taken against those responsible.