Probe to take 10 more days

The probe committee is yet to find out the exact reason behind Saturday's 10-hour nationwide blackout but the state minister for power has held some technical faults in the internal grid responsible for the power outage.  

“There was no technical glitch at Bheramara or Ashuganj power stations,” Nasrul Hamid told a press conference at his ministry yesterday.

Hamid however could not say exactly where the problem had originated.

The press conference was arranged after the eight-member committee formed following the country's worst blackout in seven years submitted its primary investigation report to the ministry yesterday.

The panel also sought 10 more days for further investigations, Hamid said.

Replying to a query, he said the probe was taking time as the committee could not get records from some power stations in time as these were yet to be digitalised.

There should be a comprehensive investigation into the matter so that such incidents are not repeated in the future, the state minister said.

Additional secretary of power division Dr Ahmad Kaikaus who heads the probe committee and Mohammad Hossain, director general of power cell of the power division, also spoke at the programme.     

On November 1, people across the country were left without power almost for 10 hours since 11:30am, overshadowing the government's much-lauded achievement in the sector since 2009.