A general manager of Magura Palli Bidyut Samity has been suspended after a residential customer was issued a bill of Tk5.07 billion for using just 235 units of electricity.
The general manager of Magura Palli Bidyut Samity, Md Mahitul Islam, was suspended with immediate effect following the extraordinary billing error, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said on Wednesday.
Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud ordered the disciplinary action after the case attracted widespread attention in the media and on social media.
The minister also telephoned the affected customer to apologise for the error and the anxiety caused by the unusually high bill.
The bill was issued in the name of Aleya Khatun, the wife of retired teacher Shahidul Islam, a resident of Kechuadubi village in Magura Sadar.
The September bill showed consumption of 235 units but demanded Tk5,068,311,593 — more than Tk5.06 billion.
Following the minister’s intervention, an immediate investigation was ordered. A preliminary inquiry found that the extraordinary bill resulted from a posting error during the replacement of the customer’s electricity meter.
According to the ministry, digits from the meter’s seal number were inadvertently entered into the demand-charge field, producing the hugely inflated bill.
The ministry said the incorrect bill has since been cancelled and a corrected bill delivered to the customer.
The minister has also ordered departmental and disciplinary action against other officials and employees found to have been involved in the error.
During his telephone conversation with the customer, Mr Mahmud expressed his regret over the incident and assured her that the matter had been corrected. He also asked consumers to report similar problems directly to the authorities in future.
The minister said the government was committed to providing a “people-oriented and service-focused” administration and would treat electricity-related complaints seriously and seek to resolve them as quickly as possible.