Form an independent commission to run PBS, say protesting employees

Palli Bidyut Samiti (PBS) staffers today demanded an independent commission, with participation of student representatives, to run the samitis (associations) until the system is reformed.
PBS officials and their family members organised a press conference at the capital’s Reporters’ Unity this afternoon, pressing home their four-point demand. Their demanded unification of PBS and Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (REB), the managing body of the organisation.
They also demanded immediate release and job reinstatements for their arrested officials, alongside efforts to bring corrupt REB officials to book.
According to protesting employees, REB sacked 24 PBS officials while 18 others employed at the organisation were arrested at different times since October 17. That day, the employees cut supplies in most PBS centres for hours, leading to woes for thousands of rural customers.
“We are sorry for that [power outage], which was an instant reaction of the termination and arrests without prior notices,” said Tanjidul Islam, junior engineer of Dhaka-1 PBS, while presenting the keynote paper.
He also mentioned that their movement started in January this year, demanding probe of corruption by REB officials, stopping PBS’s financial exploitation, harassment of the board, and moving away from the culture of handing over their responsibilities to PBSs and others. REB suspended two assistant general managers that time.
“We were in a continuous protest, holding strikes for at least 15 days without interrupting the power supply in two phases. But without any prior notices, our 24 officials were sacked. The officials have been arrested under sedition cases as they spoke out against corruption of REB and demanded system reformation alongside reduction of discrimination between the urban and rural power consumers,” he added.
Abdulla Al Mamun, assistant general manager of Chattogram PBS-1, Abdullah Al Hadi, deputy general manager of Narshingdi PBS-1, and Muhammad Shariful Islam Bhuiyan, junior engineer of Narshingdi-2, also attended the press conference.