Staff Reporter:
Officers and employees of Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) have called off their ongoing mass leave after the energy adviser assured them that their demands would be addressed.
The adviser has assured that PBS officials’ and employees’ issues will be resolved through discussions, according to a press release signed by BPS office secretary Mahbubur Rahman on Friday.
Considering the country’s situation and public hardship, the ongoing public holiday programme has been suspended in the hope that the government and its advisers will resolve the crisis, Mahbubur said.
He also urged BPS employees and officials to return to their workplaces, in line with the government’s assurance.
The statement said the movement, launched in January 2024, aims to build a sustainable electricity distribution system, bridge the rural-urban electricity gap through RREB-PBS reforms, and ensure a quality, uninterrupted power supply.
He said the government formed several committees in response to the movement, but their efforts failed due to the noncooperation of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB).
When the BPS officers and employees protested against the mismanagement and corruption of the BREB, they faced various forms of repression, including lawsuits, dismissals and forced mergers.
The BPS officers and employees went on a protest programme at the Central Shaheed Minar on 21 May 2025 and called it off on 5 June based on the written assurance of the Power Division to address the demands.
Later on 17 June, the Power Division formed two committees to meet their demands, but they created an unstable situation by unleashing the acts of repression and harassment against the PBS officials and employees, he alleged.
Later, the authority fired eight employees without prior notice and dismissed 28 on standard release between 17 August and 4 September this year.
In the face of the rampant repression and harassment of the authorities, the BPS officials were forced to go on a mass holiday programme from 7 September.
As the authorities concerned have given an assurance to reach an understanding to end the crisis through negotiation and discussion, the BPS is calling off the mass holiday programme, Rahman said in the statement.
