Desk Report,
Netrakona rural electricity officials and employees declare mass strike, fear of power outage
Netrokona Rural Electricity Association Assistant General Manager (AGM, Administration) Md. Rashedul Alam Khandaker and four other officials and employees have been declared a public holiday by the district’s officials and employees. They declared a public holiday and left their workplaces from 2 pm on Thursday. This has created fears of power outages in 10 upazilas of the district as well as Dharmapasha and Madhyanagar upazilas of neighboring Sunamganj.
Netrakona rural electricity officials and employees declare mass strike, fear of power outage
According to sources in the Rural Electricity Association, the movement began in January last year demanding the merger of the Rural Electrification Board (REB) and the Rural Electricity Association, implementation of uniform service rules, and permanent appointment of contractual and irregular employees. A case was filed against 10 officials in October of that year for their involvement in the movement. Four of them, including AGM Monir Hossain of the Barhatta Rural Electricity Association office, were arrested by the police on October 17. After that, the officials and employees working in Netrokona shut down the power for about eight hours. They were later released on bail.
The officers and employees started the agitation again on August 31 with various demands, including the withdrawal of the case. Then, last Tuesday, Netrokona AGM (Administration) Rashedul Alam Khandaker was temporarily suspended and ordered to join Patuakhali the next day. The next morning, when the officers and employees gathered and started the agitation, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Abdullah Al Mahmud Zaman went to the spot and calmed the situation. But instead of withdrawing the dismissal order, Assistant Enforcement Coordinator Md. Omar Faruk, Engineer Md. Abu Hasan, and Billing Assistant Jacqueline Bashar were dismissed this afternoon. In protest, 810 officers and employees working under the association declared a mass holiday from 2 pm. The officers and employees handed over the complaint center’s mobile phone, car keys, and various items to the general manager of the headquarters and left the workplace.
This afternoon, when I went to the District Rural Electricity Office, I saw that there were no officers or employees in any of the rooms. General Manager Akram Hossain locked himself in his room until 4:30 PM. Police, army and Ansar members were deployed at the main gate and inside the office. Six protesters were seen standing outside the office on the Netrokona-Mymensingh road.
On condition of anonymity, an agitator told Prothom Alo that they want to continue working by merging REB and Rural Electricity Association. They are being discriminated against. REB officers and employees receive a medical allowance of 1,500 taka and the association’s 1,000 taka. He said that 23 officers and employees of the association were dismissed from August 17 to 28. In protest against this, a sit-in program has been going on in 80 Rural Electricity Associations of the country since August 31 with four-point demands. REB has dismissed a total of 32 officers and employees, including 9 people, during the program.
Netrokona Palli Bidyut Samity General Manager Akram Hossain told Prothom Alo that so far there is no problem with electricity in the district and two neighboring upazilas. Although the officials and employees of 12 zonal and sub-zonal offices including the headquarters have gone on a mass holiday, there are people in 20 sub-centers. However, if the movement is not withdrawn, several problems will arise. The decision will be implemented according to the decision taken by REB.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Abdullah Al Mahmud Zaman told Prothom Alo that talks are being held with higher authorities to resolve the issue. It is hoped that they will be able to reach a positive solution soon.
