A small tea stall in Fakirhat upazila of Bagerhat received an electricity bill of Tk 301,746 for the current month, leaving the owner, Apurba Kundu, and his family in shock.

Locals said the family has been running the tea stall at Lakhpur Bazar for years, using only two bulbs, a fan, and a refrigerator. Their usual monthly bill ranged between Tk 250 and Tk 500. Last month, an inflated bill of Tk 1,876 was issued but later corrected to Tk 316.

This month, after receiving the unusually high bill, the owner reported it to the electricity office. Officials later took back the bill and issued a corrected one of Tk 310.

Fakirhat Palli Bidyut Samity’s Deputy General Manager, Ananda Kumar Kundu, admitted it was due to a billing assistant’s mistake and confirmed the staff member had been served a show-cause notice.

Residents allege that such errors are frequent as bills are often prepared without checking meters properly. In December 2023, another tea stall owner in Bagerhat’s Boitpur village was billed Tk 1.38 million, while his actual bill was only Tk 162.

Rice imports through Benapole land port resumed on Thursday (August 21) after a four-month pause, with 315 metric tons arriving in nine Indian trucks.

Importers said the move is expected to ease rice prices in the domestic market, potentially reducing costs by Tk 5–7 per kilogram. Premium slender rice may stabilize between Tk 67–70 per kg, while Swarna rice could range from Tk 50–52.

Abdus Samad, owner of Messrs Haji Musa Karim & Sons, confirmed the first consignment and said more trucks loaded with rice are waiting to enter. “With import permits and LCs issued, rice imports are expected to rise further from Sunday,” he added.

Shamsur Rahman, president of the Benapole C&F Agents Association, said this marks the first consignment since April 15. Plant quarantine officials have already begun sample testing to expedite clearance.