Saiful Haque, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, has strongly criticized the government’s decision to raise electricity prices again ahead of the national budget. In a statement to the media on Wednesday, he said ordinary citizens should not be punished for theft, corruption, waste, and mismanagement in the power sector. He warned that the new price hike would worsen the suffering of low-income people already struggling with rising living costs.

Haque described the government’s move as arbitrary and accused the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) of failing to justify the increase at both wholesale and consumer levels. He argued that reducing corruption and inefficiency in the energy and power sectors would eliminate the need for such hikes. He also criticized BERC’s public hearings as a mere formality to legitimize government decisions.

He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the price hike decision and called for amendments to BERC’s existing law so that it can recommend price reductions. Haque further urged the government to include adequate allocations and a comprehensive plan for the energy and power sectors in the upcoming national budget.