24 cases of Covid-19 infection confirmed in power sector, one dead
Kalilur Rahman, staff member of Munshiganj Palli Bidyut Samity died from the coronavirus in mid-April this year
Some 24 employees in the power sector have contracted Covid-19 while serving their duty.
These confirmed coronavirus patients are mostly from three power distribution companies.
Of the total infected officials, 10 are from the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB).
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Staffers who are responsible for maintaining the distribution system, including line-men and meter reader, are at higher risk of getting infected.
Meanwhile, no infection has been reported from the energy sectors as yet.
Earlier in mid-April, one staff member of Munshiganj Palli Bidyut Samity, Kalilur Rahman died from the coronavirus.
"He was a lineman," Major General Moin Uddin (retd), chairman of BREB, told The Business Standard.
"The board will pay Tk10 lakh to his family and one member of the family will be appointed at the BREB," said Major General Moin Uddin.
Dhaka Power Distribution Company's (DPDC) 10 staff members have also contracted the virus.
"Among them, four are hospitalised and the rest were kept in isolation," said Engineer Bikash Dewan, Managing Director of DPDC.
"Our staff members are relentlessly working to keep the electricity supply uninterrupted. Most of the infected employees work on the field level," he said.
Bikash Dewan wondered why these dedicated power sector staffs are not counted as the frontline fighter of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, four staff members from Dhaka Electricity Supplying Company (DESCO) that supplies electricity in Dhaka North and Tongi city have also contracted the virus.
The company took all possible initiatives to keep its employees safe and protected by providing safety gear, according to DESCO authorities.
"Besides providing safety equipment, we are also paying additional financial support to our staff members who work on the field level," said Md Kausar Ameer Ali, Managing Director of DESCO.
However, no case has been recorded from Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) and West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited (WZPDC).
