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Severe loadshedding in Khulna-Barisal region

Hunger strike at Meherpur, protest meet at Chuadanga

By Staff Correspondent
Local people including political leaders observed a hunger ■trike in Meherpur yesterday while those in Chuadanga held a public meeting protesting severe loadshedding as acute shortage of power continued In 21 districts under the Khulna-Barisal PDB Zone.
At least 50 people including Meherpur pourasava chairman Montasim Billah. local leaders of Awami League and BNP. lawyers and journalists began a fast unto death at 6 am yester
day in front of the DCs office. UNB reported
They broke the hunger strike after Energy Secretary Dr Toufiq e-Elahl Chowdhury talked to Billah over phone and assured thal power supply in the district would return to normalcy by a week, the new* agency reported from Meherpur.
Only 10 MW power was supplied in Barisal zone yesterday against a demand for about 45 mm. our staff correspondent
Aroop Talukdar reported from Barisal quoting PDB sources.
The sources said that the 110 MW power plant in Khulna was supplying only 40 to 50 mw power One of the power plants in Barisal haa stopped genera Don of power The sources said the total power generation is decreasing day by day because the plants have tiecorne old
Besides Barisal. severe load shedding continued in Barguna. Jhalakathi and other districts under Greater Bari sal.
Our Chuadanga correspondent Quamrul Arefin reported that a big public meeting was held at the local Bara Bazar yesterday afternoon protesting severe loadshedding.
The meeting was addressed by among others Mozammel Hoque MP. who is also president of the Chuadanga unit of Bangladesh Shilpo-o-Banik Samity. advocates Quamrul Arefin, Selimuddin Khan. Aksidul Islam Ratan. JSD leader Touhid Hossain. Fotay Ali. secretary, Chuadanga Shop Owners Association. Mrs Wal-iul Islam Bablu. M Abdullah. Hamidul Hoque Netaji, Ramjan Ali. journalist M Alauddin and Dr Nazmul Hoque.
The speakers strongly demanded stopping loadshedding immediately.
The meeting, organised by the local shop owners association. was presided over by its president Ashiruddin.
UNB adds from Meherpur: Nearly 50 people, including local leaders of ruling Awami League and opposition BNP. lawyers and Journalists began the hunger strike in front of the DC office at 6 am.
The condition of three strikers, including Pourasava Chair
man Montasim Bill ah. deteriorated in the evening. DC Shamsul Haq visited the strikers and urged them to break the strike.
The strikers alleged that the PDB officials of Jhenidah, Chuadanga and Jessore districts were responsible for frequent loadshedding in Meher-
They also demanded that the work on the two-mile long alternative power line from Kushtia power station to Meherpur PDB sub-station, which remained incomplete for a long time, be completed immediately.
PDB officials here said the persisting loadshedding in Meherpur would come down to a large extent if the work on the project was completed.
The DC. however, informed that the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister instructed the PDB and Palli Biddut Samitv (PBS) chairmen to take necessary steps to complete the two-mile long power line.
Normal life tn the district has been paralysed due to 6-7 hours loadshedding everyday. On Tuesday. It experienced loadshedding for about 10 hours.