BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that the government is frequently increasing the price of electricity to meet the cost of corruption in power sector.

"The power tariff was increased by 5 per cent last night which is the third time hike in a few months. The main reason behind it is that government needs to take money from the people's pockets to meet the ever-increasing cost of corruption in power sector," he said.

Speaking at an opinion-sharing meeting on Wednesday, the BNP leader also said the government has been increasing the price of electricity step by step only because of corruption and looting public money.

"Prices of rice, lentil, edible oils have been increasing day by day. People are going through an intolerant and suffocating situation. When people are starving, the prime minister has been celebrating festival with different types of food items at haor. She is joking with starving people," he said.

Fakhrul said the power tariff hike is badly affecting the country's economy.  "That's why the production cost of all goods and factory products is increasing. The cost of living for people is increasing, putting huge pressure on them."

As part of their ongoing talks with former and current local government representatives of the party, BNP's senior leaders had the opinion-sharing meeting with the party's current and former Union Parishads' chairmen under the Barishal division at its chairperson's Gulshan office.

On February 23, the BNP initiated such talks with the first meeting with the party's present and ex-UP chairmen under Rangpur division.

The electricity tariff was raised further at both retail levels on Tuesday night with effect from Wednesday (March 1). This has been the third time in a row in two months.