Power cuts return to Khulna after city polls

Electricity outages returned to Khulna city on Tuesday – a day after mayoral polls – ending a nearly ten-day stretch of uninterrupted supplies provided for boosting the prospects of the ruling party candidate.

Awami League-backed mayoral candidate Talukder Abdul Khaleque eventually won the elections, as the government had promptly responded to his pleas for consistent power supplies during the election campaigns and vote-casting processes.

Power transmission was smooth in Barishal city though, even a day after the mayoral polls there. Mayoral polls were held in both cities on Monday.

State-run West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd ensures power supplies to Khulna city and surrounding districts. Data from the organisation confirmed that power flow remained virtually uninterrupted from 2 to 12 June but load shedding started from 10 am Tuesday. At noon, about 129 megawatts of electricity was supplied against the 160-megawatt demand resulting in 31-megawatt load shedding. Around two hours of load shedding happened in many parts of the city from 10 am to 3 pm. About 65-megawatt load shedding was inflicted upon the people in the other 21 districts relying on West Zone Power for supplies.

The company's Chief Engineer Md Abu Hasan told The Business Standard that failure to meet demand is causing load shedding. 

A Khulna city resident said angrily that Awami League has secured the votes it needs by providing adequate electricity during the campaign days. "Now, the party men feel no need to enquire after the people's wellbeing."