A Spanish company has temporarily withdrawn 41 foreign officials working in two under-construction and one operational plants over security concerns after the murders of two foreign nationals.
Of them, 38 were working in Siddhirganj, two in Bibiyana and one in Khulna. The officials were working under Spanish company Isolux Ingenieria at 335MW Siddhirganj Power Project, 400MW Bibiyana South Power Project and 150MW Khulna Power Project.
“Isolux has withdrawn 38 staff from the plant. We tried to provide them with the best possible security but they have still withdrawn their foreing employees. My project will be hampered seriously if they don’t return soon,” Md Mostofa Kamal, managing director of the Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB), told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The Spanish company, who carries out development works at different power plants, sent a letter to the authorities on October 5 regarding withdrawal of its staff from for an interim period on security grounds. It also notified the Power Development Board (PDB) about its concerns.
Within the next two days, that is on October 7, the company officially decided to withdraw the foreign staff members from those plants.
Another high official of EGCB based in Siddhirganj said that work at the plant has remained stalled for the last few days.
Abdul Barek, a feeder mechanic at the plant, said that as there is no work, they were sent home with half of the wages.
The local residents of the Jamtola area in Sirajganj town, where seven of the 38 withdrawn foreign officials had been living in seven apartments, said that they had seen the foreigners leaving the area on Wednesday.
ATM Zahirul Islam Majumder, member of planning of PDB, said that two foreign nationals had come back to Dhaka from the Bibiyana South project. No other foreign nationals from any of PDB projects have left yet. At the Ghorashal power plant, people of many nationalities, including Russians, are working but there is no lack of security.
Shahidul Morsalin Joarder, director of the “Upgradation of Khulna 150 MW to 225 MW combined cycle power plant project” said Isolux had withdrawn one of its staff members from the project but the rest of the foreign officials are still working there.
Meanwhile, following the death of two foreign nationals in the country, security has been beefed up at 23 national establishments, all of which are labelled Key Point Installations (KPIs) in Narayanganj. Police have been instructed to remain on alert and to ensure best possible security.
Law enforcement personnel have been especially instructed to monitor and ensure security at the power plants, silo and oil depots. Moreover, they are instructed to ensure security of the oil transporting convoys from Padma, Meghna and Jamuna oil depots in Naraynganj to different parts of the country.
In Shajibazar of the Habiganj district, a Chinese firm is working to construct a 300 MW combined cycle power plant. Around 200 Chinese nationals are working there. Private security organisation Elite Force is providing security there. In addition, a Chinese security firm is also looking after the security of the plant. Law enforcement personnel of Habiganj were also instructed the same.
At Bibiyana gas field located in Nabiganj upazila of the district, 48 foreign nationals are working. By the side of gas field, at the under-construction Bibiyana South and Bibiyana 3, another 200 foreign officials are working. Officials of the plant however said that they have ensured security of their own staff.