Godagari (Rajshahi) Correspondent:
In Godagari, Rajshahi, the Godagari Citizens’ Interest Protection formed a human chain by tying white shrouds on their heads to protest against the cancellation of prepaid electricity meters and additional electricity bills.
The human chain was held on the Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj highway at the Daingpara intersection of Godagari Municipality.
Vice-President Professor Mojibur Rahman, General Secretary Barjahan Ali Pintu, Citizens’ Committee President Shanto Kumar Majumder, Godagari Jubo Dal convener and former councilor Mahbubur Rahman Biplob, Organizing Secretary and former councilor Shahidul Islam, Secretary General of the social organization ‘Samaj O Manab Kalyan’ Nure Alam Wahid, President of the Disabled Rights Development Organization Nazrul Islam and leaders of various organizations spoke at the human chain, presided over by the organization’s president, Advocate Salahuddin Biswas.
The speakers alleged that NESCO is forcibly installing prepaid meters, creating additional financial pressure on the common people. They claimed that electricity bills are being collected from customers through prepaid meters up to three times, which is completely unfair.
The participants in the human chain also said that even after recharging the meter, an unusually high amount of money is being deducted. This is causing extreme suffering to the common customers. Some of the victims shared their experiences and demanded the cancellation of prepaid meters.
The speakers sought the intervention of the Prime Minister and the concerned government departments to quickly resolve this problem. They warned that their earnest appeal to the Prime Minister is “Accept our just demands; otherwise, kill us and float us in the Bay of Bengal.” They also announced that if the demands are not accepted soon, they will announce more stringent programs including besieging the electricity office.