Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Secretary General and former lawmaker Professor Mia Golam Porwar has issued the following statement on 26 May 2021 protesting and condemning the latest decision of Dhaka WASA of increasing the water tariff once again.

“Dhaka WASA has decided to increase the water tariff by 5 percent from next 1 July. The present government has increased the water tariff for 14 times in their 13-year tenure and made a new record. The entire nation is undergoing a crisis due to corona pandemic and its increasing infectious condition. Government imposed lockdown has been going on for several months and people’s sufferings and miseries know no bounds. People are leading their lives miserably. Under the circumstances, latest decision of increasing water tariff would create more pressure upon the general masses and simultaneously would intensify the existing financial crisis.

Dhaka city dwellers are suffering from the crisis of pure and safe drinking water for a long time. Often, city residents are taking to the street demanding the supply of fresh water. Besides, there are decade-long allegation of mixing the sewerage line with the water lines which is causing major health crisis of the people. Instead of resolving these crises, WASA has taken the decision of increasing water tariff, which is not acceptable at all. Rather, Dhaka WASA should take effective measures to ensure smooth supply of fresh, pure and safe water to the people.

We are urging the concerned authorities to repeal the illogical and unacceptable decision of increasing water tariff considering the sufferings of the general masses.