Brahmanbaria Correspondent

Residents are spending the night in fear of electrical transformer thieves at Nasirnagar. In the last two months (November and December), 31 transformers were stolen from different areas of the upazila. Of these, 22 were used for irrigation of boro land, 2 were industrial and 7 were transformers for residential customers. Local farmers claim that this will disrupt boro cultivation and disrupt agricultural production.

Locals complain that theft has also increased with the arrival of winter in Nasirnagar. Like the last dry season, there is regular load shedding in winter. Therefore, whenever load shedding starts at night, transformers are stolen in some area of the upazila. They believe that trained electricians of the local rural electricity department may be involved in all this.

However, several officials of the Nasirnagar Rural Electricity Office denied the allegations and said, "None of our electricians are involved in this." We have repeatedly spoken at the monthly upazila law and order meeting to prevent theft. The Rural Electricity Association has also filed a case. Despite that, no effective action is being taken. Even though about a hundred transformers have been stolen in the last one year, no one has been arrested in these incidents.

Ubaidul Haque of Datamandal village of Sadar Union of the upazila complained that four transformers of an irrigation project were stolen in our village on the night of January 7. The officials concerned say that they have to install transformers at their own expense. Meanwhile, the Boro irrigation season is coming to an end. Therefore, there is frustration among the farmers.

Rahmat Ali, a farmer from the same village, said, "Our irrigation work has been stopped for a week. We are plowing the land but we cannot cultivate Boro due to water. We are facing difficulties in getting land due to the theft of transformers." According to the Nasirnagar Rural Electricity Office, 31 electrical transformers were stolen in the last two months of the year. Of these, 9 were stolen in Nasirnagar Sadar Union, 3 in Purbabhag Union, 6 in Burishwar Union, 8 in Gokarna Union, 2 in Kunda Union and 5 in Chapratala. In addition, 8 transformers were stolen in the first week of this month, bringing the total number of transformers stolen in this upazila in the last one year.

Meanwhile, on the 9th of this month, two rural electricity linemen were tied up and three transformers of irrigation projects were taken away in Burishwar Union. This has created concerns about the cultivation of several hundred bighas of land in that area. It costs about 2.5 lakh taka to connect the 3 transformers anew.

Farmer Gaur Pal of Burishwar Union said, "If we don't get water at the right time, we won't be able to cultivate Boro. If we don't grow crops in the land, we will have to starve with our families." The same complaint is made by farmers of the area, Gias Uddin, Mizan Shaha, Alauddin and Alal Shaha.

Upazila Assistant Agricultural Extension Officer Md. Mojibur Rahman said that transformers of irrigation projects are being stolen regularly in different areas of the upazila. Due to this, farmers are not able to water the land at the right time, which is very sad.

Amjad Hossain, Deputy General Manager of Nasirnagar Rural Electricity Association, said that the theft of about a hundred transformers is quite worrying. Some local unscrupulous gangs are involved in this. We ourselves have filed a case as plaintiffs but no one has been arrested. However, to prevent this, the locals should also be vigilant with security measures.

Nasirnagar Police Station OC Md. Khairul Alam said that no customer, starting from Rural Electricity, has complained to us about the theft of transformers. If anyone complains, legal action will be taken.