Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the ‘culprits’ who are behind load-shedding and water crisis during Iftar and Sehri will be identified and be given exemplary punishment.
“We don’t have that much of power and water shortage which may cause sufferings to people during the Iftar and Sehri,” she said during a meeting with Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Thursday. The prime minister came up with the warning as reports have it that some ‘culprits’ are causing sufferings to people through repeated power cuts and disruption in water supply during Iftar and Sehri. Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul kalam Azad briefed reporters after the meeting.
Sheikh Hasina said: “We saw the same problem last year, too. We’ll identify the culprits and punish them. We won’t tolerate any such problem that inflicts sufferings on the people during Ramzan.”
In this connection, she said the government has increased the power production from 4,100MW to 5,052MW after it assumed office.
She blamed the BNP-Jamaat alliance government for the present deplorable condition of the power situation. Sheikh Hasina asked the officials concerned not to increase the power tariff during Ramzan.
She said the present demand for electricity is 7,000MW while the generation is 5,052MW. “We have to exercise austerity to save power,” she said.
BERC chairman Syed Yusuf Hossain made a power-point presentation on its activities.
PM’s Adviser Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Ambassador at-large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary MA Karim and PM’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad were present at the meeting. UNB
-With UNB/The Independent input
