15-day ultimatum issued to scrap prepaid meters in Rangpur

The Rangpur District Electricity Consumers Forum has threatened to enforce a nationwide strike and blockade if the government fails to cancel the prepaid electricity meter programme and remove installed meters within 15 days.
To press their demands, the forum members on Wednesday morning brought out a procession and submitted a mass memorandum to the Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) at Khamar Mor in Rangpur city.
Speakers at the programme alleged that consumers are being forced to install prepaid meters despite protests and that many are receiving electricity bills three to four times higher after the installation.
Protester Ahsanul Arefin Titu said, “If the prepaid meter programme is not cancelled and the installed prepaid meters are not removed within the next 15 days, hartal and blockade programmes will be announced across the country.”
Later, a forum delegation submitted the memorandum to Ashraful Islam, chief engineer of NESCO's Rangpur Distribution Region.
Receiving the memorandum, Ashraful Islam said it would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities. “We are working according to government directives. The demands will be implemented once the government gives instructions. It is entirely a matter of government decision,” he said. Speakers at the rally included BASAD (Marxist) district convener Anwar Hossain Bablu, member secretary Ahsanul Arefin Titu, District Electricity Consumers Forum convener Delwar Hossain and Mirza Babar Bablu.