Sufferings of the users of prepaid electricity, gas and mobile phone connections mount following internet blackout across the country.
Long queues of people were seen in front of the electricity service providers' offices in the capital despite the ongoing curfew, imposed by the government to save lives and property.
Shahidul Islam, a resident of the city's Tejkunipara area, said his household has been out of power since Friday midnight, as their prepaid meter ran out of balance.
"The blackout caused immense sufferings amid sultry heat," he said, adding that he tried to recharge his prepaid meter on the previous day. However, he could not do it due to the internet blackout.
Considering the situation, the Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) has launched advanced top-up service for the users.
Contacted, DPDC Managing Director Noman Ahmed told the FE that they offered the advanced top-up service.
"There are currently around 0.8 million prepaid meters of the DPDC in the city. The subscribers can get advanced top-up of up to Tk 5,000 from 36 zonal offices across the capital."
"When the users will top-up their respective meters through usual means following restoration of internet, the amount will be adjusted."
Post-paid users need not worry in the situation, as they pay the billed amount after a specific period, he added.
The users welcomed the DPDC's move, although it was difficult for many to reach the DPDC zonal offices by overcoming hurdles due to the curfew.
According to available data, there are some 5.3 million subscribers of prepaid electricity supply service under different power distribution companies across the country.
The subscribers of Titas Gas Distribution and Company Limited can get emergency top-up, which is enough for their system restoration, according to the company sources.
State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid told the newsmen that there are around 24 million pre-paid users of utility services, of whom many are suffering for the supply disruption.
"We are trying to increase the emergency balance limit to tackle the situation," he said while visiting a DPDC recharge centre at Banani in the capital.
He blamed the anti-government forces for the situation, as they set on fire the utility connections along with internet cables and accessories.
While internet is completely out, voice calls and USSD-based services are also disrupted.
Monir Hossain, a businessman from the city's Green Road area, said he has been facing serious network issues for the last few days.
"Voice call has been the only way of communication amid closure of all the internet-based communication platforms like Whatsapp and Messenger."
He mentioned that he had to try for more than 20 minutes to recharge his mobile balance by using USSD code of a mobile financial service (MFS).
"From a three-tap system to a 20-minute struggle to recharge cell-phone demonstrates how the city life is heavily dependent on the internet," he added.
UNB adds: Hundreds of families in South Keraniganj, who use pre-paid meter cards, have been suffering for not having electricity in the past two days as they failed to recharge their pre-paid meters owing to the internet shutdown.
The residents of the upazilahave also been suffering from water crisis as they couldn't operate motor for lifting water in tanks.
Even the food kept in their refrigerators went rotten, said some residents.
Contacted, Julfiker Ali, general manager of Palli Bidyut-4, did not make any comment in this regard.
Electricity and gas consumers, who use pre-paid cards, have been facing problems failing to recharge their cards as the country has been experiencing internet shutdown since Thursday night amid the countrywide unrest over quota reform and attack on students.
According to consumers of different areas, the pre-paid services are the app-based mobile financial services (MFS) including bKash, Nagad, mKash, Upay, Rocket and other digital wallets. But due to complete internet shutdown, these payment systems are not working.
All the utilities in power and energy sector use the MFS to receive their both pre-paid and post-paid bills.
Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company and other gas distribution companies also use the MFS
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