DHAKA: BNP called countrywide demonstrations for Friday in protest against the power hike up to 6.69 percent in consumer levels which will be effective from March 1.

BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the announcement in a press conference at party’s Naya Paltan office on Thursday evening.

The BNP spokesperson also condemned the power tariff hike by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC).

BERC chairman AR Khan made the announcement on Thursday noon.

However, this hiking power won’t be applicable in irrigation sector, BERC chairman AR Khan said in the press conference.

On March 6, Rural Electrification Board (REB) proposed increasing electricity tariff by 12.587 percent to minimize growing losses.   

BERC chairman also said that the price of minimum limit of use won’t increase but the limit of minimum unit was decreased to 50-unit from 75-unit.

Existing minimum charges, service charges, demand charges and late charges will be unchanged, he added.

Earlier, the BERC recommended considering increasing retail tariff by 6.66 percent on average for PDB customers on March 4 while 7.51 percent for WZPDC customers and 6.03 percent for DPDC customers and 2.01 percent for DESCO customers.

BDST: 2135 HRS, MAR 13, 2014