Several officials of the Power Development Board (PDB)'s Mohra division in Chattogram have been accused of harassing electricity consumers, pressuring small businesses and farms to install commercial meters, and threatening heavy fines to allegedly extract money.
Small business owners and farmers in Hathazari upazila's Shikarpur and Burishchar unions alleged that they were pressured to install commercial meters despite operating small-scale businesses. They claimed that they were threatened with electricity bills several times higher than usual and fines amounting to lakhs of taka if they failed to comply.
The allegations centre on Mohra division Executive Engineer Kenoyar Hossain and Assistant Engineer Delwar Hossain. Complainants have accused them of pressuring consumers, demanding money over alleged meter irregularities and collecting payments to settle cases involving alleged meter tampering.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and no conclusive documentary evidence of the alleged financial transactions was available at the time of reporting.
Traders Alomgir Hossain and Rafik Sowdagar, who operate businesses on Neyamat Ali Road, alleged that two meter readers from the Mohra division visited their establishments in September and pressured them to install commercial meters.
According to the traders, the meter readers warned that failure to change the meters could result in electricity bills five to six times higher than normal and fines of Tk 200,000.
The traders further alleged that they subsequently had to pay money to settle the matter. However, the alleged payment and the circumstances surrounding it could not be independently verified.
Abul Kalam, a resident of Shikarpur, said he had returned to Bangladesh after spending 45 years abroad and established a small farm. He alleged that on September 26, a PDB official identified as Delwar visited his farm, pressured him to install a commercial meter and threatened him with a fine of Tk 250,000.
The matter was subsequently resolved following the intervention of Chattogram PDB Chief Engineer Kamal Uddin Ahmed, according to information obtained for this report.
Asked about the allegations, Kamal Uddin Ahmed said action would be taken against any individual found responsible if allegations of consumer harassment were substantiated.
Complainants have also called for scrutiny of the assets and financial transactions of Kenoyar Hossain and Delwar Hossain. They alleged that the officials may have accumulated assets under their own names or those of others and maintained fixed deposits in different banks.
They urged the relevant authorities to examine the sources of the officials' wealth and their financial transactions. However, no verified asset declarations, financial records or findings from an official investigation were available to substantiate these claims.
Some complainants also alleged that Kenoyar Hossain had secured postings in important areas of Chattogram under the previous government and used political influence to accumulate wealth. These allegations, too, remain unverified.
Business owners in Nozumiahat market said ordinary consumers often hesitate to raise complaints because they fear the influence of the officials concerned. They called for an investigation into whether the rules governing meter installation, electricity billing and the imposition of fines are being properly followed.
The complainants demanded effective monitoring of meter readers and engineering officials, as well as a reliable mechanism through which consumers can report alleged harassment without fear of retaliation.
They said an impartial investigation would help establish the facts, identify anyone responsible for wrongdoing and prevent further harassment of small businesses and farmers.
Repeated attempts to contact Executive Engineer Kenoyar Hossain by phone were unsuccessful. His comments could not be obtained before the report was filed. The statement of Assistant Engineer Delwar Hossain was also unavailable. A comprehensive response from the relevant PDB authorities could not be obtained either. Their comments, along with those of the accused officials, will be included if they become available.
The allegations have also raised questions about whether similar complaints involving Kenoyar Hossain were reported in 2020. The complainants claim that media reports at the time raised concerns about alleged corruption but that no effective action followed. However, the earlier reports and any official findings relating to them could not be independently verified for this article.
The central issue now is whether the allegations of pressure over commercial meter installation and threats of excessive fines are supported by evidence. Consumers have called for an independent investigation and appropriate action under the applicable rules if wrongdoing is established.
