Crisis Looms Over Rural Power Supply

The conflict between the Rural Electrification Board (REB) and Palli Bidyut Samities (PBSs) stems from disputes over procurement, rank parity, transfers, and governance.

- Afroza Akther Pervin

PBS officials accuse REB of corruption and substandard purchases, while REB blames PBS for disruptive protests. Legal actions, dismissals, and stalled negotiations have deepened mistrust, threatening rural electricity supply. A possible way forward lies in withdrawing cases, reinstating staff, addressing service parity, and opening structured dialogue—while setting aside the contentious merger issue to ensure stability and reform.

The old proverb "a stitch in time saves nine" seems highly relevant to the ongoing conflict between the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (REB) and the Palli Bidyut Samities (PBSs) over rural electricity supply. This is not the first time such disputes have surfaced in Bangladesh. Too often, problems are allowed to linger instead of being resolved. Bureaucrats and political actors have long been accused of deliberately turning issues into crises to benefit from "crisis management." Likewise, the growing conflict between REB and PBS has now reached a stalemate. Both sides-REB as regulator and coordinator, and PBS officials-are blaming each other.

PBS officials argue that while they are responsible for delivering electricity to rural areas, most of the risky fieldwork is handled by contract staff. Permanent employees, they claim, face rank discrimination. Their biggest grievance, however, is that procurement authority rests with REB. According to PBS, REB overspends on low-quality products, which often cause system failures-yet PBS is blamed when things go wrong. REB rejects these allegations. It insists that all purchases are made through competitive bidding in line with technical standards. It also maintains that PBS staff were hired under a defined structure that cannot now be altered. Instead, REB accuses PBS officers and staff of committing a grave offense-cutting off electricity supply during their protests over the past year. To stop this, REB argues, it had no choice but to pursue legal action.