Seven officials and employees of Mymensingh Palli Bidyut Samiti-2 have been temporarily suspended following the deaths of three students who were electrocuted while traveling in a picnic bus of the Islamic University of Technology (IUT) in Gazipur.
The information was confirmed late Saturday at 11:30pm by Md Akmal Hossain, general manager of Mymensingh Palli Bidyut Samiti-2.
He said: “On Saturday morning, three students of the Islamic University of Technology (IUT) died due to electrocution while on a picnic bus. Immediately after the incident, senior officials from the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board visited the scene.”
That night, the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board temporarily suspended seven personnel of Mymensingh Palli Bidyut Samiti-2, including Deputy General Manager (Technical) Kamlesh Chandra Bormon, Deputy General Manager (Mawna Zonal Office) Khondoker Mahmudul Hasan, AGM Md Tanvir Salauddin, Junior Engineer Matiur Rahman, and linemen Parvez Mia, Shakhawat Hossain, and Abul Kashem.
On Saturday morning, around 460 students of IUT’s Mechanical Engineering Department headed to Matir Maya Eco Resort in Uttor Pallaid village of Telihati Union in six double-decker BRTC buses and three microbuses.
The buses left the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and took a rural road towards the resort.
Upon reaching Udaykhali Bazar, one of the BRTC double-decker buses touched a live power line. The bus, carrying around 60-70 passengers, caused several students to be electrocuted.
The injured were rushed to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared three students dead: Mozammel Hossain Nayeem, 24, Mostakim Rahman Mahin, 22, and Jubayer Alam Sakib, 22. Three others were critically injured.
In response to the incident, the Gazipur District Administration has formed a three-member investigation committee, while the university has constituted a five-member probe team.