A lineman of the Palli Bidyut Samiti was electrocuted to death while installing a new electricity meter in Sirajganj Sadar. The accident occurred around 10:00 AM on Wednesday in the Gobindapotal area of Ratankandi Union.
The deceased, Russel Babu (31), was the son of Bablu Mondal from Khamargati village in the same upazila. He was working as a daily-wage lineman at the Kazipur Sub-Zonal Office of Palli Bidyut Samiti.
Md. Maidul Islam, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of the Kazipur Zonal Office under Sirajganj Palli Bidyut Samiti-2, stated that Russel went to the Gobindapotal area in the morning with his colleagues to install new meters. Assuming an adjacent power line was turned off as work was ongoing nearby, Russel climbed an electric pole, came into contact with a live wire, and was electrocuted, remaining suspended from the pole. His colleagues rescued him and rushed him to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead. He added that an investigation committee will be formed to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sirajganj Sadar Police Station, Md. Rakibul Hasan, said that Russel was critically injured after accidentally touching a power line upon climbing the pole, and later passed away. An unnatural death (UD) case has been filed at the police station regarding the incident, and procedures are underway to hand over the body to his family following legal formalities.