Locals assault, forcibly take away Chandpur Palli Bidyut employee over persistent load-shedding allegation; video goes viral
Palli Bidyut files a complaint after the employee was allegedly abducted and held for hours, as residents vent frustration over prolonged outages and rising electricity bills
A video showing a Palli Bidyut employee being forcibly taken away and assaulted by a group of locals amid anger over alleged persistent load-shedding and soaring electricity bills has gone viral on social media, drawing widespread attention in Chandpur's Faridganj upazila.
The incident took place this morning (24 June) at Chirka substation under the Faridganj Zonal Office of Chandpur Palli Bidyut Samity-2.
Following the incident, Chandpur Palli Bidyut Deputy General Manager Saiful Alam filed a written complaint with the Faridganj Police Station naming four individuals in connection with the incident.
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Confirming the matter to The Business Standard, Faridganj Police Station Investigation Officer Al Amin, "We have received allegations that a Palli Bidyut employee was assaulted and unlawfully confined."
The matter is being investigated and legal action will be taken against those found responsible, he added.
According to the complaint and locals, linemen Md Ibrahim and Md Abdul Kader were on duty at the substation when a group of youths entered the facility around 10:30am.
The group assaulted Ibrahim before forcibly taking Abdul Kader to Uttar Dhanua village, where he was held against his will for several hours.
After being informed of the incident, Assistant General Manager (O&M) Mohammad Nazir Ullah, with the help of local community leaders, held a mediation meeting and secured Abdul Kader's release.
In the written complaint, the power utility alleged that the attackers physically assaulted Abdul Kader, snatched Tk23,500 from him and damaged his mobile phone.
Local residents, however, said prolonged power cuts and unusually high electricity bills had fuelled public frustration in the area.
Several residents also alleged that electricity remains unavailable for long periods, while bills have increased significantly. They also claimed that complaints to the authorities often go unresolved.
Local social worker Mehedi Hasan Manju said residents had been suffering from severe load-shedding for an extended period.
"Power outages occur for hours without prior notice. On the day of the incident, some locals went to the substation to seek answers. There are allegations that lineman Abdul Kader behaved rudely towards them, which further escalated tensions," he said.
Shah Alam Sheikh, chairman of the local union parishad, said public dissatisfaction over load-shedding and rising electricity bills had intensified in recent months.
"People are frustrated because effective solutions are often not forthcoming. However, taking the law into one's own hands cannot be justified under any circumstances," he said.
