BNP demands BBMP withdraw unfair solid waste fee amid double billing complaints in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: Bengaluru Navanirmana Party has claimed that over 2,800 people across the city have expressed solidarity with them in objecting to BBMP in its campaign titled #IWontPay, against the new solid waste management user fee on citizens who neither generate the waste nor receive BBMP's services.
'This is exploitation. How can BBMP collect a fee without even knowing who should pay and who shouldn't? said Srikanth Narasimhan, founder of BNP.
He said the 'bulk-waste generator' exemption was introduced around April 20, 2025, after backlash from citizens. By this time, thousands of residents who live in apartments classified as bulk-waste generators, had already paid the SWM fee. Many have made double payment, one to private vendors, and another to BBMP for doing nothing.
Smaller apartment complexes (under 100 units) that use empanelled vendors are neither recognized as bulk generators nor given clarity, which again leads to double billing. Vacant plot owners have also been charged SWM fee despite producing no waste.
'How can BBMP justify billing people for a service it doesn't provide? There's no accountability, no communication, not even basic logic,' said Poongothai Paramasivan, Governing Council member of BNP. She added that without an elected BBMP Council, the government is unilaterally imposing new charges like parking fees and garbage user fees.
BNP has submitted formal letters to Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, BBMP Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, and Revenue Special Commissioner Munish Moudgil, demanding withdrawal of the SWM user fee, and full refund or adjustment of wrongly collected fees for all who have paid this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Mad with power and vengeance, Yunus risks taking Bangladesh down with him
Yunus has thrown up too many balls in the air, and it remains to be seen if he is a wizard to pull it off, or n usurper who risks taking Bangladesh down with him read more As India grapples with the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, a sordid drama is playing out next door. An unelected regime, backstopped by the military, Islamists, war criminals and revisionist 'student revolutionaries', wants to turn Bangladesh into another Pakistan – a jihadi hellhole, an economic basket case and a rentier state that dreams of breaking India and plans to suck on Chinese and American teats. This radical shift is being driven by Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate heading an 'interim government' as the chief adviser. Yunus, a crafty, vengeful man, thinks he is playing 128D chess. He is writing blank cheques he cannot encash. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It has been nine months that this illegitimate regime has been in power, nine turbulent months following Sheikh Hasina's orchestrated ouster during which Yunus has overseen Bangladesh's rapid economic descent, freeing of 1971 war criminals, a surge in Islamist radicalism, unhinged vendetta politics, hounding of Hindu minorities and sweeping foreign policy changes without the requisite democratic mandate. When he flew in from the United States to assume power in August last year, Yunus had promised to 'restore Bangladesh's democracy' through 'free and fair elections'. He is 'restoring democracy' by banning Awami League, Bangladesh's largest political party, one that is synonymous to the country's independence, and by delaying elections. Not surprisingly, Yunus has run into a collision course with the BNP, the only major party left in Bangladesh's political scene that fancies a return to power. The 'chief adviser', though, has other plans. For the head of a military-backed regime, Yunus has even made an enemy of the army chief because General Waker-Uz-Zaman has called for early elections and come out swinging against Yunus's moves to take key decisions keeping the military in the dark, such as constructing a 'humanitarian corridor' linking Chittagong to the restive Rakhine province in Myanmar where the military junta is fighting a civil war. Bangladesh is witnessing an intriguing power tussle and attempts at palace coup and counter coup. Yunus is evidently keen to control all the levers of power and enjoy unchallenged writ. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD His hunger for power shouldn't have come as a surprise to Bangladesh watchers. US diplomatic cables leaked by Wikileaks reveal that the Americans knew at least since 2007 that Yunus possesses 'a strong desire to jump into the maelstrom of Bangladeshi politics.' One cable, dated 13 February, mentions that 'Yunus is considering entering Bangladesh politics' and that 'he was reviewing his options'. The cable discloses that Americans felt Yunus is 'a person of great moral stature and strong organizational skills,' and his 'candidacy could offer a possible out from the present Sheikh Hasina-Khaleda Zia zero-sum game that cripples Bangladesh's democratic process.' The Americans have always considered Yunus as 'their man', something India had a very good idea about. Another leaked cable marked 'confidential' and dated December 2006, reveals what the South Block was thinking about the 2007 elections when the Americans wanted 'neither Hasina, nor Zia to win' and were 'actively supporting Yunus', for whom the Americans had 'fixed' the Nobel Prize. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This dynamic between Yunus, whose status as America's pet poodle has always been known, and the US, is key to understanding the great game unfolding in India's neighbourhood. In his brief tenure, Yunus has already savaged Bangladesh's close strategic, diplomatic and commercial ties with India, warmed up to Pakistan, hitched Dhaka's boat to Beijing and kowtowed to the US. Much against the wishes of Bangladesh's mainstream political class and even the military, Yunus is positioning Bangladesh as a mule for America's proxy war against China in war-torn Myanmar – jettisoning the careful balance of power strategy that former prime minister Hasina used as a foundation to script Bangladesh's rise. The worst part is Yunus's authoritarian impulses and reckless steps are destabilising a region strategically sensitive for India, apart from making life difficult for ordinary Bangladeshis. In his effort to cling on to power, the scheming Yunus alternates between habitual India-bashing and divisive agendas to keep rivals off tack. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In causing diplomatic friction with India, authoring wholesale pivot to China, and calling for a more robust American involvement in the region, Yunus is redrawing the strategic underpinnings of Bangladesh's foreign policy, initiating transformative changes without Parliamentary backing or democratic buy-in when as the head of a caretaker government all he needs to do is ensure political, social and economic stability to ensure free, fair and inclusive elections. This fundamental mismatch between Yunus's self-image as a 'saviour' of Bangladesh, his vaulting ambition, strong desire to wield power (refer to the US diplomatic cables) and the military and the BNP's assumption of the chief adviser's limited role, lies at the heart of Bangladesh's 'war like' situation that Yunus blames India for. This turmoil couldn't have come at a worse time. Bangladesh is struggling. Growth has stuttered to 3.97%, the slowest in 34 years. The economy is battered with industry shutdowns, high inflation, unemployment, falling wages and steep price rise, potentially putting millions at risk of falling into extreme poverty. Foreign investors are staying away. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD IANS quotes data from Bangladesh's central bank to report that Dhaka's flow of FDI fell to $104.33 million in the July-September quarter of 2024-25 fiscal, the lowest in six years, and the country received 71% less foreign investment year-on-year, down from $360.5 million in the July-September period of FY24. The flagship garment sector that plays a significant role in Bangladesh's economy, contributes handsomely to the GDP and employment is besieged with problems. According to a report published last December, in one year '140 factories across various sectors have ceased operations, including 76 in garments, 50 in knitwear, and 14 in textiles. This has led to the loss of approximately 94,000 jobs, with the Beximco Group alone laying off around 40,000 workers from its 15 garment factories. In total, closures have left 134,000 workers unemployed amid the shuttering of 155 factories.' Trump's punishing tariffs on Bangladesh resulting in a halt in orders from America and import restrictions from India have further hit the sector's profitability. Things are so bad that General Waker, during the recent high-level gathering of military commanders at Dhaka Cantonment that generated a lot of media heat, reportedly said, 'garment factories are shutting down one after another, and no one seems concerned. This silence is dangerous.' A clear barb at Yunus. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The 'chief adviser' remains unfazed. He is focused more on ideological agendas such as freeing hardcore war criminals like Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam, a death row convict accused of killing 1,256 people, abducting 17, and raping 13 women during the 1971 Liberation War, apart from torturing civilians and setting fire to hundreds of houses. Islam was handed a death sentence in 2014. The Appellate Division of Bangladesh's top court upheld the death sentence five years later. Under the Yunus regime, the same Supreme Court on 27 May scrapped its earlier judgement – a first in history – that upheld the conviction and death sentence and ordered 'immediate release' of Islam, a pointer to how Jamaat is holding the Yunus regime to ransom. In a measure of the distance Bangladesh has travelled under a vindictive, unelected regime, the Bangladesh Supreme Court led by its chief justice on Sunday ordered the Election Commission to restore the registration of Jamaat, the right-wing jihadi outfit that was banned by the Hasina government under anti-terrorism law for its role in violent protests and historical opposition to Bangladesh's independence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Jamaat, that played a key role in the genocide of Hindus and Bengali-speaking Muslims during the 1971 war alongside the Pakistani army, will now be able to contest in future elections whereas former prime minister Hasina has been charged with 'crimes against humanity', and 'the chief instigator behind the violent crackdown that unfolded during the July and August unrest.' It speaks volumes of Bangladesh's trajectory under Yunus that the banned Awami League will not be allowed to contest elections while Yunus's attack dogs, Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir go about persecuting ethnic and religious minorities and altering the secular character of Bangladesh's Constitution. In the zero-sum game of Bangladesh's exclusionary politics, the pendulum will keep swinging from one extreme to the other. Yunus, who is crossing swords with the army chief and wants to replace him with a more pliant man, will soon figure out that he cannot run the country through palace intrigue, mob violence and revenge politics, and by seeking to decouple from India. Yunus is courting China on the one hand, giving it access to Lalmonirhat airfield, close to India's Siliguri Corridor (Chicken's Neck), giving Beijing opportunities to expand strategic influence through Teesta River management project in exchange for China's help in making Bangladesh a manufacturing hub, on the other hand he is embarking on a risky pirouette by giving the US a route to back the Arakan Army rebels in Myanmar's Rakhine state through the so-called 'humanitarian corridor' that Bangladesh's army chief went ballistic about. Since China is seen to be backing Myanmar's military junta, the US sees a chance to lodger proxy war against the Chinese in Myanmar, and Yunus risks making Bangladesh a pawn to the great power game. Yunus has thrown up too many balls in the air, and it remains to be seen if he is a wizard to pull it off, or n usurper who risks taking Bangladesh down with him.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
a day ago
- First Post
Bangladesh party calls out Yunus' 'reform' excuse to delay polls: How many time will you...
Calling for elections in 2025, BNP leaders accused Bangladesh's Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, of stalling reforms to delay polls. In light of this, Yunus has called for a meeting with Khaleda Zia's party read more The turmoil in Bangladesh continues to persist as parties accuse the country's interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus of allegedly stalling reforms in a bid to delay polls. On Saturday, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Salahuddin Ahmed alleged that the Yunus administration is offering nothing, just empty gestures in the name of reform. Ahmed emphasised that Yunus has taken no concrete steps to ensure that the national elections can be held by 2025 and not get dragged into 2026. Meanwhile, the Nobel laureate said that the polls will be conducted between December 2025 and June 2026, insisting that reforms need to be implemented before the polls. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'How many times will you inaugurate these reforms?' asked the Standing Committee member of the BNP. According to Bangladeshi news outlet The Daily Star, Ahmed made these remarks while speaking at the event organised by Krishak Dal at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in Dhaka. The event marked the 44th death anniversary of party founder Ziaur Rahman. 'You are showing a banana of reforms': BNP The BNP leader pointed out how the reforms are not substantive in reality. 'Again, in the third phase, you have merged things together … you are just showing us the 'banana of reforms',' he said. In light of this, Yunus has invited the parties for talks tomorrow. Referring to the chief adviser's latest calls for talks, Ahmed said: 'We've told you to compile what has already been discussed and present it to the nation. But instead, you're going through rituals with no real work being done. Why another fresh inauguration on June 2 for the third round? How many inaugurations does it take?' He went on to condemn Yunus for what he described as 'backtracking on earlier assurances'. 'You told us there would be an election by December, but then you backtracked. That is unfortunate,' he said. 'If merely speaking about reclaiming our democratic rights makes you uncomfortable, honourable chief adviser, that is truly disappointing. How much longer will you delay reforms using this excuse?' the Bangladesh politician furthered. The divide between the old and new parties in Bangladesh At a separate event at the Jatiya Press Club, BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury responded to Yunus's comments, which he made during a session at the 30th Nikkei Forum in Tokyo on Thursday. At the event, Yunus said that only some politicians want elections this year. 'We don't want to leave the country with the old institutions remaining as it is. If we need a good job in the reforms, we have to wait for six more months [for the election]. Some opinions let's get the election done, but it is not all, just one particular party,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In response to this, Chowdhury claimed that only parties formed after the protests in the country don't want elections this year. 'Only the parties formed after August 5 don't want elections. At least 52 parties want polls by December. If someone says only one party wants elections, is that a truthful statement? Is it directed at us? What does it imply?' He insisted that those opposing a December election are 'only four or five parties', not even registered, and lacking public support. 'The interim government has no connection with the people. Everyone's doing whatever they want. More will do so, causing further damage. This cannot continue,' Chowdhury averred. 'Only an elected parliament, accountable to the people, can bring stability. After Sheikh Hasina fled, major changes took place. Any party that fails to recognise this has no future in Bangladesh,' he added. Overall, the tussle between Yunus and BNP continues to remain persistent.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Will Yunus go too far with the India bashing?
Will Yunus go too far with the India bashing? Swapan Dasgupta TNN Updated: May 31, 2025, 20:52 IST IST Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh's interim leader, faces criticism for overstaying his welcome and pursuing personal agendas despite lacking popular support. He's in a power struggle with the army and BNP over election timelines, aiming for a 'reset' of Bangladesh, potentially involving controversial economic reforms and foreign policy initiatives. If there is one thing the chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim administration has clearly shown since the resignation drama of May 24, it is that he is no pushover. In the nine months at the helm, Nobel Prize winner and NGO icon Muhammad Yunus has slipped from being the man the country welcomed as a potential saviour to being regarded as a crafty, divisive figure with a bagful of personal agendas. Yet, lacking a political base of consequence and despite a steep fall in popularity, Yunus has pitted diverse groups against each other and clung on to power — although at a huge cost to Bangladesh. The latest political crisis to envelop Bangladesh centres on the timetable of the national election that will install a democratic government in Dhaka. In a paradoxical twist, the army has advocated elections by the end of 2025, a demand strongly endorsed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), now led from London by Begum Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman. On his part, Yunus has said he wants until end-June 2026 to first bring about unspecified reforms, and also bring the arrested leaders of the Hasina regime to justice. Activists of the National Citizen Party — derisively called the King's Party — have even suggested that Yunus should be in office for the next five years.
