Water tariff hike will be a new crisis in public life: BNP

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) alleged on Thursday that the government is trying to increase water tariff that will put a negative impact on the city dwellers' life.
Senior Joint Secretary General of the party Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the remark at a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan central office in the capital.
"The government is seriously thinking to increase water tariff which is their another tactic to cut people's pocket," he said.
He said that the Dhaka WASA, an autonomous entity of the government, is making profit; despite that, the government is planning to increase water prices that will put a negative impact on the lives of 80 per cent city dwellers.
He said that a severe crisis of pure drinking water is prevailing in the metropolitan cities.
"There will be a new crisis in public life if water tariff is increased," he warned.
"The government doesn't care for people's life and death. They (government) are very much active to suck blood of lower, lower middle and middle class people," he continued.
He said that despite gas supply shortage, the government is also actively contemplating increasing gas and electricity tariffs.
"One-person absolute rule has been introduced in the country by suppressing the opponents and after holding a dummy election on January 7, 2024," he went on.
"Entire Bangladesh is now held hostage by her hands. A terrible situation is prevailing across the country," he said.
"The people of the country have been suffering acutely over the last 16 years in the hands of the autocrats," he mentioned.
He said, "People of the country have been suffering as they were deprived of their voting rights and their back is now on the wall and thus they (people) have lost their words."
He also narrated tortures being inflicted on BNP leaders and activists by the ruling party stalwarts across the country.
Meanwhile, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority is going to raise water tariff by 20 per cent from July 1 subject to the approval of its proposal by the government.
WASA has proposed to hike the price of water to reduce their subsidy in water supply.
"We have proposed 20 per cent increase in the water price.
Now, the government will take a decision on it," Managing Director of WASA Taqsem A Khan said recently at a press conference at WASA's conference room in the capital.
According to the Dhaka Wasa Act, its board could increase the price of water by 5 per cent every year.
The WASA authorities have sent the proposal to the LGRD Ministry for consideration of its proposal.
Currently, WASA spends Tk25 to generate one unit (1,000 litres) of water but they sell it at Tk15.
The MD of WASA said there is a huge gap between water price and its production cost.

[email protected]