Patuakhali remote island finally gets power

About 23,000 consumers of Charkajal and Charbiswas in Rangabali upazila, an isolated island in Patuakhali, are elated to have finally gotten electricity in their homes, 50 years after Bangladesh gained independence.

From Char Fashion Upazila of Bhola, 22,006 consumers of 45 villages of the two unions were brought under electrification through submarine cable through the river.

SM Shahzada, lawmaker from Patuakhali-3 constituency, inaugurated the first line of electrification by lighting electric bulbs at the inaugural function held at the grounds of Charbishwas K Ali College field at 11:00am on Thursday while Chairman of Charbiswas Union Parishad Tofazzal Hossain Babul Munshi was in the chair.

Chairman of Galachipa Upazila Parishad Md Sahin, GM of Bhola Palli Bidyut Samiti in charge of electrification in Charkajal and Charbiswas Unions Abul Basar, Galachipa Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ashish Kumar, Upazila Awami League President Santosh Kumar Dey and General Secretary Golam Mostafa, among others were present at the programme.

GM of Bhola Palli Bidyut Samity Abul Basar, who is in-charge of electrification in Charkajal and Charbiswas Unions, said the power line has been laid at a cost of Tk 165 crore through a submarine cable at the bottom of the river, which is the longest submarine cable line in the country.

A power substation has been set up in Charmujib area and transmission lines have been provided to Charkajal, Charbiswas, Charborhan of Dashmina upazila, Charhadi of Ward 9 of Charmini and Charmontaj of Rangabali upazila in Patuakhali district. There is a 792-km-long transmission line from Bhola via the submarine cable.

Asiya Begum, 65, of Chhotashiba village in Charkajal Union, said, "I used to see electric lights in the city and electric fans. I thought how happy the people of the city were amid bright lights and electric fans when the earthen lamp would light our house. Now, we will also live in luminous house after dusk."

Sabiha Shila, an SSC examinee from Charbishwas Janata Secondary School, said, "We used to study by lighting the earthen lamp. Solar lights were also in place for several years. But it could not meet our need. This time, electricity will revolutionise the ICT, education, agriculture and healthcare sectors in this neglected island area."

"We have computers in our school," said Lamia Akhter, a ninth-grader student at the same school.

"We could not take part in computer training due to lack of electricity. Now we will be able to learn computer," she added.