Staff Correspondent

Electricity tariff was raised further in Bangladesh at both retail level with effect from Wednesday (March 1).

The Power Division — through administrative order and in a gazette notification — raised the tariff.

“Power tariff was raised by 5 percent”, power secretary Habibur Rahman told UNB. This has been the third time in a row in two months, the power tariff was raised, average 5 percent in retail level on every occasion.

According to the new order, the retail tariff was raised at different levels of consumers. The tariff was raised for lower-level consumers by an average 5 percent to Tk 4.35 from Tk 4.14 (each kilowatt hour) per unit. Bulk tariff was not raised this time.

Earlier on January 13, the government raised the electricity tariff by 5 percent at the retail level with effect from January 1 and on January 12 raised again by 5 percent with effect from February 1.

On November 21, the bulk power tariff was hiked by 20 percent to Tk 6.20 per kilowatt hour by Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) with effect from December 1.

The government recently amended the BERC Act empowering the Power Division to raise power, gas and petroleum fuel by administrative power anytime it wants.

Applying that amended Act, the new gazette notification was issued to raise the electricity tariff at bulk and retail levels, bypassing the authorities of the energy regulator.
Meanwhile, energy experts believe the tariff enhancement decision came in compliance with the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that recently approved $4.5 billion in loan to Bangladesh.