The government on Sunday said that any employee of the Palli Bidyut Samity participating in any kind of protest by disrupting the power supply would lose job.
The announcement came amid high tension running in the PBS, operated under the Rural Electrification Board, over an unrest following the arrests and remand in police custody of some of its staff members.
The staff belonging to the PBS anti-discriminatory movement demanded regularisation of jobs and an end to discriminatory practices at their workplaces.
The participants of the movement staged a countrywide sudden blackout on October 17 to press home their demands, pushing the national grid almost on the verge of collapse.
鈥榃e will do every necessary step to keep power installations operational,鈥� said power, energy, and mineral resources adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan after attending a discussion in Dhaka.
He talked about sending instructions to all divisional and deputy commissioners along with officials of law enforcement agencies to secure the power substations.
鈥楾o keep the installations operational, necessary manpower is ready to replace those who left their jobs. And the government will take legal actions against the unruly employees,鈥� he said.
Talking about the PBS employees鈥� demands on a merger of PBS and Rural Electrification Board, and job regularisation, Fouzul said, 鈥楾he government is examining the pros and cons of their demands. There are financial issues. So, the decision will not come instantly.鈥�
鈥楤ut they are pressing for an immediate decision. Some of them illegally shut substations. It鈥檚 not like switching a bulb on or off at a house. If deployed employees leave power substations intentionally, they shall leave the job forever,鈥� he said.
A Dhaka metropolitan magistrate on October 18 remanded six employees of the PBS in police custody for three days for interrogation in two sedition cases filed against them for their alleged involvement in destabilising the power sector.
The REB on October 16 and 17 relieved 20 employees of the PBS of their posts for their protests for the merger and implementation of the same service rules.
Seeking anonymity, PBS employees said that the promotion that takes five years to happen in the REB comes in 25 years in the PBS.
There are 45,000 people working in the PBS. About 14,000 of the employees are irregular and work on contracts or daily basis.
The PBS employees claimed that they had been continuing the movement for over a decade. The movement gained momentum over the last year and drew media attention.
There are 80 PBS distributing power under the REB. The REB distributes over 55 per cent of power in Bangladesh. The PBSs are responsible for distributing almost 90 per cent of power distributed by the REB.聽
The Consumers Association of Bangladesh in a statement issued on Sunday said that the crisis in REB was unexpected and deeply concerning.
The CAB viewed that the tactics of realising demand by disrupting an emergency service like power as an act of sedition.
The statement called on the interim government to be strict and handle the situation without giving in to the pressure of holding ordinary people hostage.
The CAB statement said that the protesters disrupted supply in 60 out of 80 PBSs.