Brahmanbaria Palli Bidyut AGM arrested
Assistant General Manager (IT) of Brahmanbaria Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) SK Shakil Ahmed (31) has been arrested on charges of destabilising the power sector.
He was arrested from the Ghatiura area of Brahmanbaria sadar yesterday (18 October). The news of the arrest was disclosed to journalists at night.
Md Mozaffor Hossain, officer in-charge of Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station, confirmed the arrest last night, adding that a unit of Bangladesh Army detained Shakil and handed him over to the police station.
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On Thursday (17 October), Shakil was dismissed from his job by the authority.
Meanwhile, a case was filed on Thursday (17 October) against several officials of the Palli Bidyut Samity at Khilkhet Police Station in the capital on charges of destabilising the power sector.
Shakil was shown arrested in that case and was sent to Khilkhet Police Station.
Meanwhile, a total of six Palli Bidyut Samity officials were arrested yesterday in the case filed over destabilising the power sector.
The arrestees are Monir Hossain, assistant general manager (AGM) of Netrokona PBS; Rajon Kumar Das, AGM of Munshiganj PBS, Asaduzzaman Bhuiyan, deputy general manager (DGM) of Brahmanbaria PBS, Dipak Kumar Singha, DGM of Cumilla PBS, Md Rahat, DGM of Magura PBS (Shreepur Zonal Office), and Belal Hossain, DGM of Sirajganj PBS-2.
Mohammad Arshad Hossain, director (administration) of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), filed the case.
According to case documents, the plaintiff alleged that some misguided officials and employees of PBS were conspiring to destabilise the power sector. They were accused of obstructing power operations with the support of ministers, members of parliament, and influential people of the previous government.
PBS officials and employees have been protesting for several months over various demands, including the unification of the BREB and PBS, the implementation of a unified service code, and permanent employment for contractual and irregular employees.
In response, the BREB dismissed 20 PBS officials yesterday, leading to protests and power outages across the country.
According to a media release by the protesters, they have demanded the removal of the BREB chairman, the cancellation of the dismissal orders, and the withdrawal of the false cases within 24 hours, threatening a long march to Dhaka if their demands are not met.
