The Power Division could not reach any agreement in the meeting with the agitating officers and employees of Palli Bidyut Samiti(PBS). The leaders of Palli Bidyut Samiti have announced to continue the strike.
On Friday (July 5) representatives of 80 Palli Bidyut Samiti sat in a meeting with Senior Secretary of Power Division Habibur Rahman at Bidyut Bhaban. Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board REB Chairman Ajay Kumar Chakravorty and other officials were present at the time.
AGM Engineer Rajan Kumar Das of the protesting Palli Bidyut Samiti spoke to the journalists after the meeting. He sought the Prime Minister's intervention.
Rural Electrification Board (REB) and Polli Bidyut Samiti (PBS) have merged to implement uniform employment rules and to regularize contractual employees. Since July 1, 80 PBS of the country have been on strike keeping the emergency electricity services running as before.
Earlier, when the same movement was held from last May 5, the Secretary of Power sat in discussion with them. The strike was suspended on two conditions on the assurance of accepting the demands. The condition was that the dismissed, attached, stand-released officers and employees should be reinstated in their respective workplaces with exemption. Two, a discussion meeting will be held within 15 days with representatives from each level. In this meeting it was said that there is no trust in REB.
But almost 2 months have passed but no discussion or any initiative has been taken in the light of the proposal. Moreover, the protestors have complained that 2 (two) suspended officials and 2 (two) officials who were on stand release have not been reinstated to their workplaces by disobeying the decision of the Senior Secretary of the Power Division.