Protest Against Outage :Power-loom workers go on rampage, set ablaze 12 cars

Hundreds of power-loom workers in Narsingdi forced into Chouala Palli Bidyut Samity-2 compound in protest at frequent power cuts, setting 12 vehicles on fire and damaging other valuables yesterday morning.
Around 700 workers rampaged through the power office at about 5:00am as production disruptions due to frequent power outages affected their wages, witnesses said.
The workers had been demanding uninterrupted power supply for the last two months. Earlier on August 24, they laid siege to the power office and put up barricades on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway to press home their demand, sources said.
Locals joined in yesterday's vandalism in protest at load shedding during sehri, iftar and tarabi namaaj.
The police later brought the situation under control.
"The attackers ransacked the office damaging furniture, fixtures and other valuables. They also set fire to nine motorcycles, two pickups and a jeep during the hour-long rampage", Syed Wahidul Islam, general manager of Palli Bidyut Samity-2, told The Daily Star.
He estimated the losses at around Tk 40 lakh.
"We're not sure who perpetrated the attacks and why. Vested interests might have a hand in it as we disconnected all illegal power connections and made using metres mandatory."
Bijoy Boshak, assistant superintendent of police (ASP, Circle), said power-loom workers who had been protesting power disruptions carried out the attacks.



BOGURA
Angered by erratic power supply, several thousand people attacked the office of Rural Electrification Board (REB) at Mazira in Shahjahanpur upazila of the district last night and set fire to papers, furniture, a motorbike and a television set.
They also chased policemen pelting them with brickbats after the law enforcers tried in vain to disperse the mob. Assistant Superintendent of Police of Circle-A Nasiruddin and four people suffered injuries as brickbats hit them.
The angry people barricaded the Dhaka-Dinajpur highway for about two hours from 9:30pm halting vehicular traffic on the road. They withdrew the barricade after top REB officials assured them of sufficient power supply.
Witnesses said around 250 locals first went to the REB office around 8:45pm demanding smooth supply of electricity. Later, about 3,000 Muslim devotees and locals joined the demonstration around 9:30pm and went on the rampage.