Dhaka, May 20 -- Politicians, business leaders, and consumer rights activists on Wednesday strongly rejected a proposal by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to increase bulk electricity tariffs by Tk 1.20 to Tk 1.50 per unit.

The opposition was voiced during a public hearing organized by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) auditorium in the capital's Farmgate area today (Wednesday). BERC Chairman Jalal Ahmed and other commission members were present at the hearing.

During the session, the BERC Technical Evaluation Committee left the final decision on the tariff hike to the government, contingent upon the allocation of required state subsidies.

Citing the depreciat...