PGCB names 2 suspended officials for power grid failure

Power blackout in Karwanbazar, Dhaka due to failure at national power grid on 4 October 2022Suvra Kanti Das

Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) has released the names of its two officials suspended by the government for their negligence of duty that led to the nationwide grid failure on 4 October.

According to the PGCB public relations department, the suspended officials are: Allama Hasan Bakhtiar, Sub-Divisional Engineer (SPMD, Dhaka-1) and Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Assistant Engineer (SPMD, Dhaka-1).

Earlier, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said that two engineers of the PGCB will be suspended over the recent national grid failure.

“The decision will come into effect today,” he told reporters at the secretariat on Sunday after receiving the probe report on the incident.

Action has been taken against an assistant engineer and a sub assistant engineer of PGCB on charge of negligence of duty, the state minister said earlier.

“Action will be taken against others responsible for the incident by this week after identifying them,” he said.

On 6 October, the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh formed a seven-member committee to identify the reasons behind the national grid failure on 4 October that caused a seven-hour blackout across most of Bangladesh.

The committee had three days to complete the investigation and submit its report.