Bangla cuts off power, telecom at BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s office
31 Jan 2015
Amid continuing political turmoil in Bangladesh, the ruling authorities have cut off BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's electricity and telephone connections.
Power supply was cut off late on Saturday, and the internet and cable connections to Gulshan Office in Dhaka were severed this morning.
The office staff found the cable network snapped when they turned on the TV around 9 am, said Shamsuddin Didar, a staff of BNP chairperson's media wing.
Earlier, Dhaka Electric Supply Co Ltd (Desco) stopped power supply to Khaleda's office.
Moksed Ali, a lineman of Desco, told reporters that he cut BNP chief's political office's power line at around 2:42am on instructions from ''top authorities'' of the Gulshan police.
Another official said they had started a generator to provide minimal power to Khaleda's office.
The actions came 11 hours after shipping minister Shajahan Khan threatened that water and electricity lines of Khaleda's office would be disconnected if she did not withdraw her blockade by 2 February.
Reporters saw total darkness at Khaleda's Gulshan office, where she has been staying since 3 January .
A number of police vans, sand, bricks, cement carrying trucks, a water cannon and additional number of police were deployed in front of Khaleda's office since 3 January midnight in a bid to confine her there.
Police had removed all the barriers and withdrew additional law enforcers on 18 January; but she had opted to live in her office.
