Bangladesh's Aam Janata Party (AB Party) has demanded the government reverse a 15–20 percent electricity tariff increase, arguing the hike will worsen inflation and hit low-income families and small businesses hardest.
In a joint statement issued Thursday, AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju and Secretary General Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad said the government is shifting the cost of corruption, mismanagement, and policy failures in the power sector onto ordinary consumers. The party leaders noted that people across the country are already grappling with high inflation, unemployment, and increasing household expenses.
Why electricity costs matter now
According to the AB Party statement, electricity is no longer merely a public utility but a critical component of agriculture, industry, commerce, education, and everyday life. Higher electricity costs are expected to increase production expenses across various sectors, potentially driving up the prices of goods and services and adding further pressure to inflation.
The party warned that the latest tariff increase could disproportionately affect low- and middle-income households while creating new challenges for small and medium-sized businesses. Under current economic conditions, the AB Party argued, raising electricity prices would further intensify economic hardships for families and businesses alike.
What the AB Party says caused the power-sector crisis
The AB Party alleged that years of poor planning, non-transparent agreements, wasteful spending under the guise of excess power generation capacity, and a lack of accountability have pushed the power sector into its current difficulties. The party argued that the public should not be forced to bear the consequences of those failures.
The statement further noted that a welfare-oriented government should address economic challenges by reducing waste and combating corruption rather than imposing additional costs on citizens. According to the AB Party, the government is using the tariff increase to pass on the burden of sector mismanagement to ordinary people instead of addressing the underlying problems.
What the opposition is demanding
Calling for the immediate withdrawal of the price hike, the AB Party demanded an independent and comprehensive audit of all power-sector contracts, expenditures, and subsidy programs. The party urged the government to disclose the sector's actual financial condition to the public and take effective action against corruption and waste instead of placing new financial burdens on consumers.
The AB Party's demands reflect broader concerns about how the costs of power-sector failures are distributed. The party contends that transparency and accountability in the sector should precede any tariff increases on consumers.