Low voltage disturbance in electricity transmission line inside Bangladesh caused Saturday's countrywide electricity blackout, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said Thursday, reversing initially-estimated reason.
"The blackout did not originate from any fault in the western grid," Mr Hamid said categorically at a press briefing in the Secretariat revealing the primary cause unearthed by the eight-member probe committee.
To unearth details of the blackout, the committee has sought an extension of time by 10 more days from an initial three-day deadline, he added.
Earlier, the Power Division in a press briefing on the following day after the incident had said that a technical glitch in the country's western grid caused the blackout.
The transmission line that brings electricity to the country's national grid from neighbouring India is located in the western grid.
Top government high-ups including Finance Minister AMA Muhith, however, last Sunday came up with similar reason-an internal fault in the country's transmission line.
When asked whether the initial opinion from the government high-ups influenced the investigation, the state minister kept mum.
He also did not respond to another query whether the blackout was the cause of any 'sabotage.'
"We started investigation from the point of initially estimation but could not find any fault there," said additional secretary Ahmed Kaikaus, who is the chief of the probe committee.
Everything including sequences in the transmission system was digitally recorded, he clarified.
He said the committee requires more probe to find out the actual cause of the blackout.
The committee is checking detailed information on every power plant, duty roster of employees, log sheet etc especially at Ashuganj, Haripur and Bheramara, he added.
"We need to check everything closely during investigation to stop recurrence of such incidents in future," said the state minister, justifying the time extension of the probe committee.
He, however, said a protection system in the transmission system was well in place. This saved all power plants of the country from any unwanted damage.
"Otherwise, it would have been a massive disaster," said Mr Hamid.
He also said the country's power sector requires up-gradation and so does the load dispatch centre.
The country's electricity supply system suddenly collapsed at 11:28 am Saturday resulting in the countrywide blackout till 10 pm.
As the country's power plants have connections with the national grid, all of them were shut one after another as the 'cascade effect.'
azizjst@yahoo.com
Low voltage disturbance in power transmission line caused blackout
FE Report | Published: November 07, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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