Rangpur Citizens Committee Holds Press Conference Demanding Removal of Prepaid Meters and Reinstallation of Digital Meters.

Mohinul Islam Sujon, Crime Reporter. Prepaid meters installed in those houses in Rangpur city by removing digital meters must be removed immediately and digital meter connections must be provided again to those houses. The people can no longer continue to bear the unbearable burden of prepaid meters. No more prepaid meters, which are instruments of exploitation and harassment, should be installed in any house. Taking into account the complaints and dissatisfaction of the people, the government must take effective steps to abolish these prepaid meters. Otherwise, this anger of the people will turn into a mass explosion. The leaders said these things at a press conference organized by the Rangpur Metropolitan Citizens' Committee at the court premises on Sunday (September 27). Advocate Palash Kanti Nag, Member Secretary of the organization, delivered a speech highlighting the overall matter at the press conference. Among those present at the time were members of the organization Abdul Jabbar Sarkar, ABM Mashiur Rahman, Bijoy Prasad Tapu, Mahabub Alam, Sabuj Roy, Sanzida Akter, Kanak Rahman, Redwan Ferdous and others. On July 22, 2026, the affected customers filed a declaratory suit, making the District Commissioner and six officials of NESCO defendants, declaring the activity of replacing digital meters with prepaid meters in houses in the city illegal and unlawful. Sunday was fixed for the hearing of the said suit. However, due to summons not being served upon the defendants, the date was adjourned. Subsequently, the affected customers and leaders of the Rangpur Metropolitan Citizens' Committee held a press conference at the court premises. At the press conference, they criticized the negligence of the process server assigned to serve the court summons in the performance of his duties and demanded that action be taken against those concerned in accordance with the rules for such negligence in a case of public importance. From the press conference, the leaders strongly demanded that the government abolish anti-people prepaid meters, publish a white paper on corruption in the power sector, reduce electricity prices, stop efforts to privatize the power sector, and withdraw harassment-based false cases filed in the names of customers.