United News of Bangladesh

The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) has formed a 5-member inquiry committee to investigate the reason behind the grid failure on Tuesday that triggered a countrywide blackout for hours. Yakub Elahi Chowdhury, executive director of the organization, will lead the investigation, said its public relations officer Badruddoza Sumon. Read: Power supply restored in some parts of Dhaka city National power transmission grid failed at 2:05 pm – causing blackouts across Bangladesh, except some parts of the north. Power supply was restored in some parts of Dhaka city under Maniknagar and Hasnabad grid substations and also a good number of districts under Sylhet, Chattagram and Mymensingh by 7 pm. According to officials of the PGCB, it could take two more hours to get electricity supply restored  in all the areas of Dhaka and Narayanganj cities, along with the remaining other districts. “We hope normalcy in power supply will be fully back by 10 pm,” Sumon told UNB. Read: Power blackout triggers chaos in Dhaka petrol pumps He said the districts where power supply was fully restored by 7 pm include Tangail, Kishorganj, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Manikganj, and all districts in Chattagram and Sylhet divisions. Earlier, after the national power grid failure earlier today, power supply was restored in some Dhaka areas, including president and prime minister’s official residences, around 5pm. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid had hoped that power supply may fully be restored by 7 pm.

An investigation committee, formed at the High Court’s directive to look into the molestation of a woman in Noakhali, has found that the victim’s husband was involved in the incident.   A report submitted to the court on Thursday by the committee said the assistant superintendent of police, the officer-in-charge of Begumganj Police Station and the local authorities also can’t escape the responsibility.   The virtual bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim has fixed Nov 29 for the next hearing over the matter.   Advocate Khandakar Reza-i-Rakib represented the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), advocate ZE Khan Panna and advocate Abdullah Al Mamun stood for the writ petitioner and Deputy Attorney General Nowroz Rasel Chowdhury for the state.   Mamun said that according to the investigation report, the victim’s husband, who did not maintain any communication with his wife for the past 10-12 years, was involved in the rape attempt and molestation of the victim.   The report also found negligence of the assistant superintendent of police, the officer-in-charge of Begumganj Police Station, the local chairman and members over the matter, he said.   Mamun said the report recommended legal action against them.   A woman was allegedly gang-raped by some local miscreants at Ward No. 9 of Eklashpur Union of the upazila last month but the incident came to light after a video of it went viral on the internet.   The miscreants tortured the housewife after stripping her and filmed it on Sept 2. The victim filed two cases accusing nine people on Oct 4.   The cases were transferred to the Police Bureau of Investigation on Oct 9.   Law enforcers have arrested 11 people. Six of them have reportedly pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them.   Bangladesh has seen a disturbing rise in sexual assaults on women and children in recent months. According to Ain o Salish Kendra, nearly 1,000 rape cases were reported between January and September, including over 200 gang rapes.   The government recently incorporated death penalty in the law as the highest punishment for the crime.