Palli Bidyut Samity’s DGM suspended in Gazipur

The Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) has suspended a deputy general manager (DGM) in Gazipur this afternoon after its employees cut off power to press home their demands.
Md Mokhleshur Rahman, assistant general manager (Administration) of Gazipur Palli Bidyut Samity-1, confirmed the suspension to The Daily Star.
The DGM, who worked in a zonal office under Gazipur Palli Bidyut Samity-1, was suspended after a power outage on Thursday, Mokhleshur said.
PBS employees and officers reportedly cut off electricity in Gazipur Palli Bidyut Samity-1 and 2 during their strike observed to press their demands for improved working conditions, causing significant inconvenience to local residents.
The nationwide strike by PBS officers and employees stemmed from demands to merge the Rural Electricity Board with the Rural Electricity Association to standardise employment rules and regularise contractual and irregular employees.
Md Kamal Hussain, officer-in-charge of Kapasia Police Station, said power supply was cut off twice in Chandpar and Targaon substations under PBS on Thursday. With police intervention, the lines were restored around 2:30pm.
In a separate incident, a case was filed against 156 PBS-1 employees in Cumilla, and five were arrests over alleged sabotage, anti-state activities, and harassment of consumers.
Engineer Milton Ghosh, executive engineer of PBS, filed the case following a power outage in Cumilla on Thursday.
Millions of consumers were affected by the electricity cuts, with some agitated residents surrounding the PBS-1 office in Chandina upazila after another blackout in the evening.
The joint forces arrested five PBS employees — Shahidul Islam, 26, Faisal Chowdhury, 37, Nur Mohammad, 28, Tanvir Ahmed, 33, and Mizanur Rahman Sagor, 30, — for their involvement in the disruption.
Md Nazmul Huda, officer-in-charge of Chandina Police Station, said that on Thursday Chandina PBS-1 employees forcefully cut off electricity supply that had suffered lakhs of residents in four upazila.
The joint forces, along with the administration, worked to reinstate the power supply, he added.