Biplobi Communist League of Bangladesh has strongly condemned the latest increase in electricity tariffs announced by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), describing the decision as unjustified and harmful to ordinary citizens already struggling with soaring living costs.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the party’s Central General Secretary, Comrade Iqbal Kabir Zahid, expressed strong opposition to the tariff hike and called for its immediate withdrawal. 

He argued that the government’s decision comes at a time when people across the country are facing severe economic hardship due to rising prices of essential commodities and multiple social and economic crises.

Earlier in the day, BERC announced new electricity rates at a press conference. 

Under the revised pricing structure, wholesale electricity prices will increase by 19.85 percent, consumer-level tariffs will rise between 15 percent and 19.94 percent, and transmission charges will increase by 23.96 percent. 

The decision will raise retail electricity prices by Tk 1.52 per unit and wholesale prices by Tk 1.39 per unit, with the new rates taking effect from June.

Reacting to the announcement, Zahid warned that the impact of the tariff increase would extend far beyond higher household electricity bills. 

He said that electricity is a key component in industrial production, transportation, and agriculture, meaning that higher power costs would inevitably push up the prices of a wide range of goods and services.

“The increase in electricity prices will raise production costs across sectors, including agriculture, and ultimately place an even greater burden on consumers,” he said. 

“This decision will accelerate the rise in the cost of living and deepen the suffering of working people.”

The Revolutionary Communist League leader maintained that there is no logical or economic justification for imposing higher electricity charges under the current circumstances. 

He urged the authorities to reconsider the decision and immediately withdraw the announced tariff hike in the interest of protecting public welfare and economic stability.

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