The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shamim Jahangir

No remarkable improvement of power supply to the rural areas has been marked during the holy month of Ramzan as people continue to take their meals in candle light due to frequent power cut at the time of Iftar and Sehri.

The rural people under the Rural Electrification Board (REB) have experienced on the average 700 MW to 750 MW power shortages from the first day of Ramzan till yesterday last.

Angry consumers of REB gheraoed several Palli Bidyut Samity offices demanding non-stop power supply during Iftar, Sehri and Tarabih prayer in Ramzan. Recently, workers of Jute and Textile Mills set ablaze to 12 vehicles of Narsingdi Palli Bidyut Samity-2 at its Chouala office demanding non-stop power supply in their factories.

REB has supplied 1307.27 MW of electricity against the demand of 1962.80 MW yesterday, according to REB sources.

During Ramzan, the peak demand exceeds 1,950 MW, whereas, the people of rural areas have received on the average 1,200 MW of electricity. On the first day of Ramzan, the REB consumers got 1,101 MW of power against the demand of 1,926 MW, 1,139 MW in second day, 1,130 MW in third day, 1,426 MW in fourth day and 1,307 MW in fifth day of Ramzan.

"Electricity supply to rural areas have increased in the last couple of days but it is not remarkable where the demand of power is increasing gradually in the month of Ramzan," a senior official of REB told the New Nation.

He added that the REB has no alternative to increase power supply if the power development board is unwilling to supply power against the demand.

Md Rafiq, a resident of Fatickchari thana, who is also the consumer of REB told the New Nation that we get electricity supply during Iftar from the first of Ramzan. "But I have to take my Sehri and prayed Tarabih in candle light," he said adding the power division should keep up to their promise of supplying uninterrupted electricity during Iftar, Sehri and Tarabih prayer."