The overhead cables will go underground in the country’s major cities for modernising the electricity supply system, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told parliament on Sunday. “Plans have been taken to move the electricity cable lines underground in the large cities and metropolitan areas of the country,” he said, replying to a starred question from Bikalpa Dhara MP Abdul Mannan (Laxmipur-4).   Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury tabled the question-answer session at the outset of day business in the House. READ: Dhaka’s overhead power cables finally to go underground Nasrul said the construction of the overall 2702-km underground electricity lines have already been completed in four cities –Dhaka, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Rangpur. DPDC and DESCO have already completed the construction works for underground cabling of 1287-km electricity line and 1366-km electricity line respectively in Dhaka metropolitan area, he said. Bangladesh Power Development Board has already completed the construction of 38 km underground line in Sylhet metropolitan area, while NESCO has completed 11 km line in Rajshahi and Rangpur areas, he added. Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board is now working on a feasibility study for installation of 8,848 km underground lines and West Zone Power Distribution Company has taken a plan for installation of some 2,061km underground lines in Khulna, Barishal and Jashore.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said all the overhead power cables in Dhaka and other major cities will go underground within the next five years.

Israel's military said it began construction of an underground defense system Sunday along its northern frontier with Lebanon to protect against cross-border tunnels.