Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City power woes: How long does repair take?

At least two companies located in Block 6 of the Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City in Gazipur's Kaliakoir reported production losses and increased energy costs due to a power outage that lasted nearly two weeks.

Company officials said that the electricity disruption began on 7 March when a fire damaged a substation supplying power to the block. Power was not restored until Tuesday night.

This 12-day disruption impacted their operations despite the specialised industrial park's promise of a state-of-the-art infrastructure for information and communication technology businesses, the officials said.

While acknowledging the outage, electricity officials at the tech city attributed it to a technical glitch in the substation and claimed repairs were completed within a week.

Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City Sub-Assistant Engineer Hasan Ibne Shahi on Tuesday said, "There was a fire inside the substation last Wednesday, leading to a power cut. The power supply resumed Tuesday after the substation fault was repaired, causing disruption to regular operations."

The sub-station is responsible for supplying electricity to the hi-tech city's block-6, where currently three institutions are housed.

Among them, Fair Technology Limited is a domestic car manufacturing company and Golden Fiber manufactures optical fibres. These companies are in the production process.

Meanwhile, another company, Daffodil Computers, is in the initial setup phase.

An executive at Fair Technology confirmed that power was restored on Tuesday night.

Another company official, speaking anonymously, stated that production at the Hyundai car manufacturing plant was halted from 7 March due to the non-functional substation.

The official stated that the company incurred additional expenses due to the power outage. The company relied on its diesel generator, resulting in a daily cost increase of Tk1,15,000 for power generation.

"It is quite unlikely for high-tech industries to be without power for so many days," the official said.

An executive of Golden Fiber International said that the firm was forced to halt production entirely as its backup generator was insufficient to compensate for the power outage.

Park official Hasan Ibne Shahi said that the handover process of the park from the contractors had yet to be completed. He attributed the outage to an unresolved technical issue at the power station serving Block 6.

The official also pledged to prioritise maintenance to prevent similar disruptions in the future.

This outage raises concerns about infrastructure stability within the Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City, a project envisioned to attract domestic and foreign investment, reduce imports, and create export opportunities in the technology sector.

The park encompasses 355 acres and is expected to generate over 70,000 jobs upon full operation. According to its official website, 79 firms have expressed interest in investing a total of $1.26 billion, with $419 million coming from foreign sources.

The website reports that 75 companies are currently operational within the park, creating over 5,000 jobs. However, specific investment figures have not been provided.