After the election, the current government had promised not to raise electricity prices for at least two years. During the previous Awami League regime, repeated hikes in electricity prices had created crises in people's lives. Perhaps considering this, the government had suggested finding a solution to the crisis without increasing prices.

In the context of rising fuel prices due to the Middle East conflict, is the government stepping back from that commitment? On 9 April, the government formed a high-level cabinet committee, led by the finance minister, to reconsider electricity prices.

Additionally, the Power Division has prepared a proposal to increase both wholesale and retail electricity rates. The proposal suggests an increase in household electricity prices ranging from 7.8 per cent to 20.11 per cent, depending on usage. Three alternative proposals for raising wholesale electricity prices have also been prepared.

The rationale behind these price hike initiatives is to reduce the subsidy burden on the power and energy sector and fulfill IMF conditions. However, raising prices is not the only way to reduce subsidies; production costs can also be lowered to achieve this. Moreover, there's a need to address questions about where the subsidy money is going and how justified it is.