Power outage fuels public anger, REB seeks police protection
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As some rural areas are experiencing up to 12 hours of load shedding, it is leading to public anger, resulting in attacks and vandalism at several facilities of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB).
Some agitated people launched an attack in the REB office at Nababganj of Dinajpur. Additionally, an attack and vandalism took place at the Bhaber Bazar Indoor Substation, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Parbatipur Zone Office. Several videos of these attacks have also been circulating on social media.
Many employees working at Rural Electricity offices say that the continuous increase in the severity of load shedding has generated widespread discontent at the local level. In this situation, the organization representing Rural Electricity employees—the Bangladesh Rural Electricity Association—sent a letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on Wednesday, requesting security.
In the letter sent by the organization's Office Secretary, Mahbubur Rahman, it was mentioned that while the Palli Biddut Samitis (PBS) have a demand for roughly 8,000 to 9,000 megawatts of power, they are only receiving 5,000 to 6,000 megawatts. Due to excessive load shedding in areas under the jurisdiction of the PBS, public anger is rising, and in some places, electricity substation offices are being targeted for vandalism.
Meanwhile, in Gopalganj, the authorities of the West Zone Power Development Company (WZPDC) have also sent a letter to the police requesting security. Overall, employees working in these institutions are facing a type of security threat due to the power disruptions. Many also fear that if the situation does not normalize quickly, public anger could escalate further.
The Chairman of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), Md. Rezaul Karim, said steps are being taken regarding the security of employees, installations, and power substations of power distribution companies, including Rural Electricity. He mentioned that instructions have been given to those working in power offices, including guidelines for rationalizing load shedding.
He said, "All our Rural Electricity Societies, PDB, and Northern Electricity Supply (NESCO) have been told that everyone should manage the load properly, ensuring that there isn't excessive load shedding in one area and less in another."
Furthermore, the BPDB Chairman appealed to the general public not to become angry due to load shedding. He said, "We have told those working in power offices to explain to people that this isn't a personal matter—that the power isn't cut off because of them. We have advised them to manage things in a more communicative way."
