Chapainawabganj Correspondent :
The officials of Power Development Board (PDB) and Rural Electrification Board (REB) formed a human chain in front of the deputy commissioner’s office protesting realizing electricity bills from the injured freedom fighters and members of the martyred freedom fighters’ families illegally on Sunday.
A memorandum was also handed over to the Deputy Commissioner of Chapainawabganj to be submitted to the prime minister.
During the human chain, freedom fighter Enamul Hoque Fitu, Jahanara Begum and Nilufar Yasmin spoke to the gathering.
The speakers said, although government exempted the injured freedom fighters and the families of the martyred freedom fighters from paying electricity bills up to 200 units from the year 2000, PDB and REB offices have been realizing bills from them illegally and forcibly.
They alleged that the aforesaid offices have been threatening to disconnect the electricity connections of those who refuge to pay the bills.
They also demanded to give back the bills that they have meanwhile paid.
While contacted, executive engineer (Residential) of PDB Zakir Hossain said, the problem has been created following a misunderstanding. He made a clarification that all bills are prepared in a unified system and the money realized up to 200 units from the injured freedom fighters and the families of the martyred freedom fighters is refunded later. But misunderstanding this system, some of these consumers refrain themselves from paying the bills, he added. He further added that a proposal for preparing bills of the units after 200 only would be sent to the higher authority to avoid misunderstanding.
