United News of Bangladesh

Power supply will be temporarily suspended in several important areas of Sylhet on Monday (Feb 2) due to transformer renovation and maintenance work as well as transmission line development activities. A press release on Sunday, signed by Abdur Razzak, Executive Engineer of the Sales and Distribution Division‑2 of the Sylhet Power Development Board, said electricity supply will remain off from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon in areas under the 11 kV feeders of the Power Development and Distribution Division‑2. Motorcycle rider killed in truck accident in Sylhet The affected areas are Anantapur, Badeali, Masukbazar, Tajpur Suklampur, Chhunpara, Medenimahal Basantergaon, Munsirgaon, Dighirpar, Paschim Darsha, Bashirpur Mirergaon and Sujatpur and surrounding localities. The release also said that the power line will be considered operational during the shutdown period and supply will be restored immediately if the work is completed before the scheduled time. Abdur Razzak apologised to customers for the temporary inconvenience and sought cooperation from all for the essential renovation and maintenance work.

In Sylhet city, frequent power outages are affecting the daily lives of its residents and the local economy. The city has experienced severe load shedding in recent days, impacting traders and disrupting the water supply managed by the city corporation. Experts attribute the problem to a significant shortfall in power supply. The Sylhet region faces a gap, with demand ranging from 140-160 MW against a supply deficit of 40-60 MW. Shielding capital Dhaka from loadshedding masks reality of power cuts biting nation The Sylhet Power Development Board's records reveal stark disparities: on April 2, demand hit 141 MW against a mere supply of 56 MW; April 3 saw demand at 120-130 MW with only 66 MW supplied; and on April 4, the supply was just 69 MW against a demand of 135 MW. As Eid-ul-Fitr approaches, traders, in anticipation of the festive rush, have decorated their establishments, only to rely on generators amidst the frequent outages. The disruptions have also inconvenienced residents during crucial times like Sehri and Iftar. Zakir Ahmed, a local trader from Golapganj, voiced the community's distress, stating, “General people and businesses are the worst sufferers, and we fear the power cut problems will only worsen with the summer heat.” Echoing the sentiment, Airin Sultana Nipa, a housewife from Lala Dighirpar, shared her struggles, “The power goes out before dawn, causing water shortages at critical moments like Iftar and Sehri. It's disheartening to face such challenges.” Days of sweltering heat, power cuts in northern India overwhelm hospitals as death toll climbs Jarjisur Rahman Rony, an assistant engineer at the Sylhet Power Development Board, shed light on the dilemma, “We're distributing what little electricity we have. The issue isn't with the infrastructure but stems from broader economic challenges affecting power generation, such as the dollar and coal crisis, forcing us into load shedding.”