Officers and employees of the Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) have besieged the headquarters of the Rural Electrification Board (REB) in Dhaka's Nikunja area demanding an end to discrimination and implementation of uniform employment rules and regularisation of irregular employees through merger.
However, through the army's mediation, the demonstrators ended the siege after the REB authorities agreed to meet some of the demands including suspending any move to transfer any of the PBS staff until a report of the Power Division was received on the issue.
80 PBSes across the country are rural electricity cooperatives which run under the administrative control of the REB.
Several thousands of workers and employees of the PBS took part in the agitation while the army was deployed to ensure the security of the head office.
They alleged that they have been subjected to discrimination by the rules of the PBS and REB despite having the same qualifications for the same nature of the jobs.
They said they had systematically written to REB multiple times about their demands, but REB, which is the regulator of the PBS, did not heed their calls. Instead, they have been subjected to repression and exploitation.
The officers and employees of the PBS are being harassed in various ways including temporary suspension, they alleged.
The protestors said that when the students of the country were united against discrimination and were trying to build a Bangladesh free from dictatorship, corruption and discrimination, the REB continued to exploit and oppress the officers and employees of the PBS.
A source said the demonstrators were finally invited to discuss with REB Chairman Ajay Kumar Chakraborty through army mediation and an understanding was made between the two sides and demonstrators left the area by about 4 pm.
Despite repeated attempts, REB chairman Ajay Kumar Chakraborty could not be reached for his comments on the issue.
