Japan Garden City in Darkness for Three Days

Residents of Japan Garden City, under Adabor Police Station in the capital, have been without electricity for three days. The prolonged power outage has caused severe suffering for nearly 10,000 residents of the housing complex. There is no water and no electricity, leaving the area in complete darkness. Flat owners and tenants are expressing frustration, while the management committee has been accused of indifference.

Relevant sources said the crisis was caused by a malfunction in the housing project’s own 33-kilovolt substation transformer. However, allegations have surfaced that neither the Japan Garden City authorities nor the flat owners’ management committee informed the Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) about the problem. DPDC’s Supervising Engineer for the Shyamoli region, Md. Tarikul Islam, said they are continuing their work considering the public suffering.

Speaking to Agamir Somoy, he said, “DPDC supervises the residential area’s 33-kilovolt transformer. Although there has been no electricity for three days, the city authorities did not file any complaint with us even after we inquired. There is no technical fault in our power supply system.”

“On Thursday, Dhaka-13 lawmaker and State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj discussed the matter. We are making our utmost efforts. Hopefully, electricity will be restored by tonight,” he added.

However, Dr. Yahia Khandakar, vice president of the Japan Garden City Central Committee, said, “The suffering was caused by a fault in our own power substation. The situation will return to normal by tonight.”

Meanwhile, State Minister Bobby Hajjaj commented, “The suffering of citizens is unacceptable under any circumstances. All concerned parties must work responsibly. When DPDC is ready to provide the necessary assistance, prompt decisions and coordination by the management committee are the key conditions for resolving the crisis. No further delay is acceptable in the interest of the residents.”

DPDC authorities said they are prepared to provide a transformer of similar capacity on a temporary rental basis to reduce the suffering of customers. Relevant officials have also been instructed in this regard.

When contacted around 7 pm Thursday, DPDC engineer Tarikul Islam said, “Nearly 50 of our personnel are working at Japan Garden City. Our engineers are present there.”

Sardar Babul, a resident of Building No. 21 at Japan Garden City, said, “It is hard to describe the suffering we are going through. I live on the ninth floor. I am a heart patient. I have to use the stairs.”

Another resident, lawyer Mizanur Rahman, said, “All the food in my refrigerator has been spoiled. And as soon as evening falls, the place turns into a ghost town.”

Sarishma Islam Diya, an O-Level student, said the generators are shut down again after operating for two hours. She noted, “Many students in the residential area are sitting for the Higher Secondary Certificate examinations this year. They are in serious trouble. There is no internet connection, mobile phones cannot be charged, and there is no light or fan—this is what real suffering looks like.”