Around 1000 important telephones belonging high officials and professional including some journalists have been kept operative through emergency measures. But their numbers have been temporarily changed.

Sources at the divisional telephone exchange said they can not say when the lines will be restored.

The massive disorder occurred after the hard disk drive (HDD) of the central processing unit (CPU) of main frame distribution (MDF) section, installed by ITALTEL company of Italy, crashed.

Locking-unlocking and meter reading systems in the exchange have also collapsed, they said.

Sub-assistant engineer Sharif was sent to Narayanganj in search of a similar CPU. But he returned disappointed on Friday as a spare CPU was not available there. The Narayanganj telephone exchange was also installed by ITALTEL.

CPU manufactured by any other company does not fit in the Barisal exchange, they said.

ITATEL has no representative or office in Bangladesh.

The Barisal exchange will be reactivated when a CPU will be brought from Italy and installed, they said.

When contacted yesterday, Divisional Engineer Jagadish Chandra Mondol and engineer-in-charge of switch room Shariful Islam said they are trying their best to restore the lines.