Grid failure triggers power outage across Dhaka

A sudden power outage plunged parts of Dhaka into darkness for hours amid heavy rains in the early hours of Friday.

The situation was resolved before dawn, while mild temperatures also helped minimise the extent of discomfort faced by residents. Incessant rains soaked the city on Thursday, leading to waterlogging in parts of the city by evening.

Power supply was disrupted in multiple areas, including Mirpur and Dhanmondi, as a result of a grid failure.
A fire broke out at the Aminbazar grid around 12:45am, causing power outages in Kalyanpur, Agargaon, Mirapur, Savar, Cantonment, and Satmasjid Road, according to ABM Badruddoza Khan, a spokesperson for the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh.

Power workers began carrying out repairs shortly afterwards and the supply was restored around 4:30 am.

In the wake of the blackout, netizens took to social media to raise questions and seek explanations about the matter. However, a discussion online did not gain further traction as electricity was restored before morning.

Kawsar Amir Ali, the managing director of Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited, said the issue stemmed from a tripped line in the Aminbazar's 230 KV grid, leading to the shutdown of the 132 KV substations in Mirpur, Agargaon, and Kalyanpur.

Power was restored in most of these areas within an hour by sourcing electricity from alternate grids. The Aminbazar grid was back at full capacity by 4:30 am, according to Ali.

Bikash Dewan, managing director of Dhaka Power Distribution Company, said power was fully restored in all affected areas by 5 am, with approximately 25 MW of load-shedding occurring during the outage.

Electricity demand was low during the nighttime and rainy weather.    �bdnews24.com