Cry for power, protest against outages on
Power-hungry people demonstrate at Naohata point on Rajshahi-Naogaon Road, right, vandalise the main office of Rajshahi Palli Bidyut Samity in the area yesterday. Several other districts witnessed similar incidents due to power outage.
People besieged electricity offices and blocked roads and rail tracks, turning violent at places, in protest against frequent power cuts across the country during the ongoing humid weather.
Over 20 people, including two police officers, two Ansar members and an electricity official, were injured as locals ransacked offices of Palli Bidyut Samity at Naohata of Paba and Bhawaniganj of Bagmara upazilas in Rajshahi district yesterday, reports our staff correspondent from Rajshahi.Demanding smooth power supply, the agitators also put electric poles and torched tyres, blocking Rajshahi-Naogaon and Bhawaniganj-Rajshahi roads.
Over a hundred people stormed the head office of Rajshahi Palli Bidyut Samity after the PBS officials returned a group of villagers telling them that the power crisis cannot be solved shortly. The angry mob broke the main gate and the security check post and pelted insiders with stones and brickbats. Ansar members Faridul Islam and Bablur Rahman and employee Punam Das received serious injuries on their heads. The attackers ransacked the GM's office, administrative building, store and workshop while several officials and staff hid at other rooms to save themselves.
"Villagers want 24-hour power supply but it is just impossible. We are getting only 10 MW supply against average daily demand of 42 MW. The problem worsened as the power distribution is being centrally controlled," said Abdur Rahman Sarker, AGM of the office.
In Bagmara, the sub-office of Natore Palli Bidyut Samity came under attack at around 11:00am. In one and a half hours, the locals damaged 10 transformers, 25 meters, two computers, two motorcycles, wireless and telephone sets while rampaging the office.
The mob also assaulted Jesmin Akhtar, a cashier of the office, and sub inspectors Mahabur Rahman and Zahangir Hossain.
Ekramul Haque, deputy general manager of the office, said they are facing an extra power shortage due to 'central control' over the local power distribution.
Oor Tangail Correspondent reports: Power hungry people besieged the electricity office in Tangail town and the Gopalpur zonal office of Rural Electrification Board (REB) on Monday night demanding smooth electricity supply.
The people of Gopalpur upazila under the banner of 'Gopalpur Bonik Samity' brought out a procession at the upazila headquarters in the evening demanding smooth power supply in the upazila. Later, locals besieged the REB office at night and damaged its gate.
As the people of Dhulerchar and Hazraghat areas under Sadar upazila besieged the power office in the district town at 9:00pm, the officials and employees of the office fled for safety, sources said.
The protesters alleged that officials and employees of the power office demanded Tk 5,000 for change of the 200KV transformer in their area that got burnt 17 days ago.
Earlier in the morning, locals blocked road at Basail upazila headquarters for two hours protesting unusual load-shedding in the upazila.
Tangail district unit of Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League brought out a procession and held a rally in the town yesterday morning demanding smooth power supply in the district.
Hundreds of people of Sharifpur and Ranagacha unions under Sadar upazila blocked Jamalpur-Mymenshingh-Dhaka highway and Nandina Railway Station by setting fire on tyres and leaving trees and bamboos on the road and rail lines at Nandina Bazar in the district yesterday, reports a correspondent from Jamalpur.
During the blockade from 12:00pm to 4:00pm, intercity Teesta, Agnibina up and Commuter down trains remained stranded at Nurundi, Peyarpur and Jamalpur stations while several hundred buses and trucks, bound for Jamalpur and Dhaka, got stuck on the road, much to the suffering of people.
Following assurance from the local administration of smooth supply of electricity, people withdrew their blockade at 4:00pm.
Aggrieved women on Sunday night vandalised the Palli Bidyut Samity office at Protap under Nalchiti upazila protesting frequent power cuts, reports a correspondent from Jhalakathi.
At around 8:00pm, around 20 to 25 women of Bhairabpasha and Protap area entered the office and damaged chair, table and other furniture, said Habibur Rahman, general manager of Jhalakathi Palli Bidyut Samity.
Hundreds of power-hungry people in Birganj upazila of Dinajpur yesterday besieged Palli Buduyt Samiti office at Basundhara village demanding smooth power supply in the upazila, reports our Dinajpur correspondent,
A correspondent adds from Chandpur: Locals yesterday blocked Chandpur-Comilla highway at Mohamaya Bazar under Sadar upazila demanding uninterrupted power.
The agitators set fire to tyres on the road during their demonstration from 10:30am to 12:30pm, creating a huge tailback on the road for hours.
__._,_.___
