"Incidents of electrocution increase in rainy season when the wires are exposed and disconnected due to rain and storm and people have to repair them frequently," said Dr Samantalal Sen, project director of BPSU.

He said the accidents also took place as the wires are too near to the roof and the high voltage wires are uncovered.

A BPSU record for 2004-05 revealed that the vast majority of people who suffered from electric burn injury are adult. Almost 70 percent of them are aged between 16 and 40, 22.22 percent are aged between six and 15, while 7.5 percent are of the ages between 41and 60.

While visiting the burn unit, this correspondent saw one Alauddin, 22, groaning there with burns on the chest and knee.

The accident took place when he was busy in fitting the light of a neon signboard in Chittagong.

" As I climbed up, I saw an exposed high voltage wire above my head. I was quite careful about that open wire and knew how much dangerous it was. But I don't know when and how my head touched the wire. Instantly, I received an electric shock causing serious burn on my whole body. Then I fell to the ground," said Alauddin.

"Despite knowing the danger I could not take any safety measures. We are to work with all risk factors," he added.

Dr Samantalal said most often the electric burn becomes so fatal that cent percent cure is impossible.

" Maximum 60 percent of the electric burn is curable," he said, adding that among the burn injury patients who got admitted to the unit since 2003, a total of 40 percent accidents were caused by electrocution due to lack of awareness and safety measures.

The type of electric burn injury is almost the same both in rural and urban areas and the victims are mostly repair workers, said the experts, adding that in the city slum dwellers are the most vulnerable group.

Admitting the fact, Monitoring Officer of Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (Desa) Osman Goni said around 20 lakh slum dwellers in the city are very vulnerable as they use direct line and do not take proper connection.

A motivational programme has been launched by Desa to inspire them in taking standard connection by forming association and it has reduced the risk of accident to 20 to 30 percent during the last four to five years, he added.

Besides, overhead high voltage lines are being transformed into underground ones in densely populated areas of the city to reduce the risk of electrocution, said Osman.

" As it is a costly initiative and needs Tk 5000 to 6000 per metre, it will take few more years to complete the work that started in 80s, he added.

Electric burn injury causes serious damage in life, as these people cannot go back to their previous jobs mostly, said BPSU Assistant Registrar Dr Kishore Kumar Das.

"If one receives nine percent burns in his hand, there is no way to recover it except amputation. So the damage is very serious in case of electrocution," he added,

BPSU record also shows that around 31 percent electrocution take place during repair works, 24 percent during elevating telephone or TV antenna and 19 percent during building construction.

As the children are more curious and careless and often like to fly kite on the roof or play with electrical wires or electric polls, they are also the victims of electrocution.

Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey Report on Children 2005 says more than 800 children die from electrocution each year in the country numbering over two per day.

Exposed electric wires caused all electrocution deaths, it added.

According to the record, over 47,000 children were killed or injured by electrocution in that year.

"In most cases, electrocution takes place through electrical system components or equipment that lack grounding system and because of using old, frayed extension cords or electric appliances around water sources," said epidemiologist Dr Mashreky of the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh.