Thousands of people are suffering due to lack of power supply, which results from theft of many transformers at some parts of Sripur upazila in Gazipur.
Over 300 acres of paddy and vegetables are affected since irrigation pumps have remained inoperative.
School and college students are also having their study hampered as darkness engulfs the areas where power transformers are stolen and not yet installed.
Farmer Rafiqul Islam from Thakurtola village said three transformers from a power pole situated beside a shallow machine were stolen on October 16 and since then he had failed to irrigate his three acres of paddy.
Three more transformers from another power pole beside another shallow machine in the same village were stolen in the same night, said farmer Arif Hossain, who lives at the same village.
Vegetable farmer Aftab Uddin said children were suffering immensely as there is no electricity in the village in the last two weeks. Besides, seasonal vegetable farmers have been affected since irrigation pumps remain operative.
Businessman Awlad Hossain, who lives at Maizparha area, said three transformers were stolen from his village on October 19 and since then, poultry farmers had been arranging for light inside the farms with hurricanes and generators.
Two transformers were taken away from an electricity pole beside his house a few days before Eid and before this theft took place, load-shedding had begun in the locality, said Farhad Hossain from Momdolpara area.
Farmer Abdul Mannan Sarker from Boldighat Bazar area said he applied for power connections six months ago and recently got the permission for installing a meter at his house. But 25 days before he got the connection, three transformers were stolen from a power pole beside his house.
Local people blamed power officials for the theft as Masud Mia from Thakurtola said it was not possible for anybody working outside power sector to commit such theft.
Businessman Fazlul Haq from Thakurtola village he had talked to the authorities about the re-installing of the new transformers, but was upset at what they had told him.
A total of Tk5600 had to be deposited to the authorities for re-installing per 10 kv transformer while it was only half of the said amount for the resident power users. There is no waiver for the shallow machine owners, he said.
Deputy General Manager Abdul Mannan Sarker at Mymensingh Palli Bidyut Samity-2 said there were some people who works with them on contract. They might have been involved in the transformer theft. Some of them were earlier identified.
No employee or official from them was involved in such incidents, he claimed, urging the authorities to take care so that such incidents do not repeat.
