Police asked to remain alert in Dhaka as power outage adds risk of crime

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam has ordered law enforcers to remain alert against the added risk of crime and disorder as almost all parts of the capital went completely dark due to a national power grid failure.

Vast swathes of the Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and Mymensingh divisions have been left without electricity after a transmission line of the national grid tripped in the eastern zone on Tuesday.

The trouble started around 2 pm on Tuesday due to a 'technical glitch', according to the state-run Power Grid Company of Bangladesh.

The outage came amid the Durga Puja celebrations, with the festivities taking place in 242 venues across the city. Hindus are marking their biggest annual festival in more than 32,000 pavilions across the country, according to bdnews24.com.

Police have been instructed to take extra precautions in the wake of the power outages, especially at puja venues, said Shafiqul.

He also called for steps to ensure adequate lighting in parts of the city.

The power outage has also affected the puja celebrations across the country.

As a result of the blackouts, several marquees in the city, including Old Dhaka's Tantibazar, had to be powered by generators.

But some of the pavilions were devoid of any crowds as they lacked the facilities to cope with the outage.