Dhaka, Aug 27 (V7N): Officers and employees of Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) have withdrawn their planned mass leave and mass resignation program following discussions with the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (REB) chairman and the Power Division on Tuesday.

In a joint statement, the coordinators of the PBS Anti-Discrimination Movement—Abdul Hakim, Asaduzzaman Bhuiyan, and Ranjan Kumar Das—announced that the program was called off after assurances from the REB and Power Division that their demands would be considered.

"The mass resignation and mass leave programs have been canceled in response to requests from the general public," the statement read.

Approximately 40,000 employees and officers from 80 PBSs across the country have been advocating for their demands, especially after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Their primary issues include ending discriminatory service terms and securing permanent employment status. They had threatened mass leave and resignations if their demands were not met.

However, these plans raised concerns within the interim government, which suspected that such movements might be part of a broader strategy to destabilize the administration. This suspicion arose from the fact that many PBS employees were politically appointed during the previous Awami League government.

To address the growing tensions, the Power Division formed a nine-member committee led by Additional Secretary Syed Masum Ahmed Chowdhury. The committee includes four representatives from PBS employees, three from the REB, and two from the Power Division.

Representatives of PBS officials and employees met with the newly appointed REB chairman, Major General SM Zia-ul-Azim, and the head of the Power Division committee at Bidyut Bhaban to discuss their demands.

Additional Secretary Syed Masum Ahmed Chowdhury, who leads the Power Division’s committee, announced that the next meeting is scheduled for September 4, where the PBS Anti-Discrimination Committee will present a detailed position paper on their demands.

This unrest follows a protest on August 8, when PBS officers and employees besieged the REB headquarters in Dhaka's Nikunja area, demanding the implementation of uniform employment rules and the regularization of irregular employees. The siege was lifted after REB authorities, with army mediation, agreed to suspend any staff transfers until the Power Division's report is released.

The PBSs, which operate under the administrative control of the REB, play a crucial role in the country's electrification efforts. The ongoing grievances are centered around perceived discrimination in employment practices, with workers alleging that despite holding the same qualifications and performing the same tasks, they are treated unfairly compared to their REB counterparts.

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