350 Ctg shops without power, traders run businesses in candlelight

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) yesterday disconnected the electricity supply to the Alankar shopping complex in Chattogram due to unpaid bills.

BPDB's Executive Engineer of Pahartali Electricity Sales and Distribution Department Sana Ullah confirmed the matter to The Business Standard today.

The incident left around 350 shops without power, causing significant losses for the traders who were forced to run their businesses under candlelight.

Later, the traders initiated protests demanding immediate restoration of electricity in the shopping mall.

According to sources, there has been a dispute between the shop owners' association and the traders' association leaders of the shopping complex centering the issue of unpaid electricity bills, while both sides were pointing fingers at each other for the outstanding payments.

Leaders of the Alankar Shopping Complex traders' association alleged that despite making all the necessary payments, the shop owners' association failed to clear their bills. They claimed they cleared last month's bills worth Tk4 lakh, but the shop owners' association left a Tk16 lakh bill unpaid.

On the other hand, shop owners' association leaders argued that traders frequently left bills unpaid, leading to recurring deficits. Despite their efforts, they were unable to prevent the disconnection.

Abdullah Al Masud, general secretary of Alankar Shopping Complex traders' association, expressed dissatisfaction with the shop owner association's practice of charging traders additional tariffs for electricity since 2014. He highlighted the financial hardships faced by the traders due to the sudden disconnection, including outstanding debts, employee salaries, and other expenses.

Jamal Uddin, president of Alankar Shopping Complex Shop Owners Association, justified the disconnection, emphasising the financial strain faced by owners due to unpaid bills. He mentioned that traders were only covering shop-related bills, neglecting other essential expenses like balcony, bathroom, signboard, and water bills. He said these dues had accumulated over time and needed to be addressed.