Electricity Bill of 692 Tk Issued Without Meter or Connection in Jamalpur

An incident of a “ghost” electricity bill has surfaced in Madarganj Upazila of Jamalpur, Bangladesh, where a consumer was billed BDT 692 despite having no active electricity meter or connection at his premises. The issue sparked widespread discussion on social media, raising serious questions about the local Rural Electrification Board’s (Palli Bidyut) billing management.

​Incident Details

​The consumer, Nimai Chandra Sarkar, a resident of Tegharia Bazar under Charpakerdah Union, explained that he previously had five residential meters. He applied to convert one of those connections into a commercial meter for an adjacent temple.

​However, in July, a falling tree branch damaged the meter, prompting Palli Bidyut technicians to disconnect and remove the unit completely. Since then, no meter or electrical connection existed at the site. Despite this, a bill amounting to BDT 692 was issued under his name for the month of August.

​Expressing his frustration, Nimai Chandra Sarkar said, “After the tree fell, the electricity staff removed the meter themselves. There has been no meter or connection here since, and I haven’t used any electricity. How could a bill possibly be generated?”

​Authority’s Response

​Mokhlesur Rahman, in-charge of the Tegharia Complaint Center under Palli Bidyut, acknowledged the incident and stated that the bill was issued due to an unintentional mistake.

​Meanwhile, Syeda Farjana Yasmin, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of the Madarganj Zonal Office of Jamalpur Palli Bidyut Samity, confirmed that an investigation team has been dispatched to determine how the bill was generated without an active meter. She assured that necessary disciplinary action would be taken if negligence or irregularities are found on part of any official.