PDB boss wants power price hike

Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) Chairman SMM Alamgir Kabir yesterday proposed raising the price of electricity “a little bit” and take energy conservation measures to minimise the country's losses and reduce power outages.
He also suggested converting and using gas to run the country's oil-based power plants as, with oil prices rising, it would greatly cut costs.
He was addressing as chief guest the inauguration of an “Online Application System” for new electricity connections and a website of Power Development Board (PDB) Southern Zone at PDB Bhaban.
“Hiking the price would enable the government to set up even more power plants and run those on oil, helping to reduce power cuts,” he said.
He said some 3,300 megawatts of electricity were added to the national grid in the last three years while 22 lakh new customers were provided with connections.
He blamed gas shortages for low output from the country's southern zone, having a capacity of 600 MW of electricity but forced to limit production to just 300 to 400 MW.
BPDB Member Distribution Abdul Wahab Khan and PDB Southern Zone Chief Engineer Md Raisuddin Sarker were present at the programme.