The Crime Desk: The protesting Palli Bidyut Samiti officers and employees have called for a mass rally on Monday with 7-point demands, including the implementation of uniform service rules and the removal of the chairman.
Palli Bidyut Association President Engineer Tajul Islam announced the new program on Sunday (June 1).
He said that a mass rally will be held at the Central Shaheed Minar on Monday, as the government has not accepted the demands. All officers and employees will join the mass rally by keeping only the power substations operational.
These officers and employees have been holding a sit-in program at the Central Shaheed Minar for the past 12 days with seven demands. They have announced this new program as they have not received any response from the government so far.
On the 12th day of the sit-in program at the Central Shaheed Minar, National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasir Uddin Patwari and Senior Joint Convener Samantha Sharmin expressed solidarity with the protesters.
Nasir Uddin Patwari said no discrimination will be tolerated in the new Bangladesh achieved with the blood of students and the public. The workers of Palli Bidyut Samity are working hard in the field and providing electricity to the people of the country. They have not brought any unfair demands. They are agitating for a dignified life. They have not caused suffering to the people; they are agitating in a disciplined manner by keeping the electricity service running. If the rural electricity workers are restless, darkness will descend on the country. Do not push them on that path.
He called on the electricity advisor to immediately sit in discussion with the officials and employees of Palli Bidyut Samity. Accept their just demands through discussion.
Senior Joint Convener Samantha Sharmin, expressing the full support of the NCP for the movement program of Palli Bidyut Samity, said the fascist structure of the fallen dictatorship remains in the Rural Electrification Board. Everyone must join hands to break this structure. She called on the government to solve the problem through discussion.
The 7-point demands of the rural electricity workers who have announced a nationwide strike are—
1. Removal of the oppressive REB chairman who is destabilizing the working environment by suppressing and oppressing the workers of the Rural Electricity Association in a fascist manner;
2. Merger of REB-PABIS or restructuring like other distribution organizations in the country by implementing one and the same job rules;
3. Regularization of jobs of meter readers cum messengers, line workers, and domestic workers;
4. Reinstatement of those dismissed to their original positions after withdrawing false and harassing cases;
5. Cancellation of all harassing and punitive transfer orders, including line crew, in the interest of customer service and immediate posting of dismissed and attached workers.
6. Immediate filling of manpower shortages to implement specific working hours/shifting duties for workers engaged in emergency services as per international norms;
7. And until the full reform is carried out, an interim board should be formed to manage the activities of the Rural Electricity Association.
Around 45,000 officials and employees of 80 Rural Electricity Associations across the country have been protesting since January 2024 with two demands, including merging the Rural Electricity Association and the Rural Electrification Board, implementing a uniform service code, and regularizing irregular workers.
