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Dhaka Thursday,  Mar 28, 2024

Power stations now under special security

EB Reporter

Country’s all power stations under Power Development Board (PDB) and Rural Electrification Board (REB) have been brought under special security arrangement to protect possible sabotage and arson attack.

The tight security measures have been taken following a request of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, sources said.

Earlier, the Power Ministry had requested the Home Ministry for additional security measures around all the power plants in the country.State Minister for Home Asaduzzman Khan Kamal has said that all power stations, particularly the rural ones, had already been brought under the tight security blanket.

“We have directed our security personnel to increase security at all the power plants and other key installations to prevent any untoward incident during the ongoing blockade and hartal,” the State Minister said.

The activists recently set ablaze at least five power plants in Sirajganj, Chapainawabganj, Chittagong, Brahmanbaria and Gazipur districts. They also hurled crude bombs at three sub-stations of Rural Electrification Board (REB), said a high official of PDB.

Power Grid Company of Bangladesh’s Managing Director Masum-Al-Beruni said that three sub-stations of REB were attacked by crude bombs in Sirajganj and Chittagong recently.

“We have asked the local administrations to increase vigilance at the power plants and sub-stations and not to go on leave, except unavoidable circumstances, until the political unrest ends,” he said.

The PDB recently sent letters to the Home Ministry, all the Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police seeking protection and to prevent possible sabotage, he added.The country has a total of 92 power plants and 1,055 sub-stations.

Out of the total sub-stations, 129 are grid sub-stations and the rest are distribution sub-stations, sources said.There are 40 power supply sub-stations under Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC), most of them being under KPI security. Contrary, DESCO has 58 power plants of which only eight are under KPI, they said.

The law enforcing agencies recently arrested several persons, in Chittagong and the arrestees confessed to having plotted to attack the 100-megawatt Peaking Power Plant and grid sub-station in Hathazari upazila.Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) Chairman Moin Uddin said the authorities concerned had asked for support from the local administrations to ensure security at 72 Palli Bidyut Samities and their sub-stations.

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