Jhenaidah  Correspondent:

Seven rural electricity transformers were stolen overnight from an agricultural field in Jhenaidah, disrupting irrigation ahead of the boro season and leaving farmers fearing serious setbacks to cultivation.

The theft took place on Friday night in the Bashipara–Khamarail field area of Sadar upazila, where miscreants dismantled transformers connected to irrigation pumps and deep tube-wells, broke them open and took away coils and insulating oil, police and locals said.

A case has been filed with Jhenaidah Sadar Police Station in connection with the incident.

According to local sources, three transformers were stolen from a deep tube-well operated by the Bashipara Youth Association, one from an irrigation pump owned by Aynal Hossain of Paikpara village and three from irrigation pumps belonging to Jibon and Maju Mia of Khamarail village.

Aynal Hossain said farmers are currently preparing seedbeds for IRRI rice and usually do not stay in the fields at night, giving thieves an opportunity to strike.

“There was no electricity for a long time that night, and they took advantage of it to steal all the transformers in one go,” he said, adding that repeated thefts could put IRRI cultivation in jeopardy.

Abdur Rashid, a farmer from Bashipara and a member of the youth association, said there was a power outage between 7pm and 8pm, during which the theft may have occurred.

“We will have to spend around Tk1,50,000 again to replace the transformers,” he said, adding that the thieves removed the units from the poles and stripped them of coils and oil.

Kamrul Islam, a resident of Paikpara village, said theft has increased sharply in the area, alleging a deterioration in law and order, with incidents of livestock theft also being reported.

General Manager Engineer Mohammad Omar Ali of the Jhenaidah Palli Bidyut Samity said a case has been filed, but preventing such thefts would be difficult without greater consumer awareness.

He said winter leaves many fields unattended as farmers focus on seedbed preparation for IRRI rice, which criminals exploit.

“There are about 11,000 irrigation pumps under Jhenaidah Palli Bidyut Samity,” he said, adding that a single transformer costs more than Tk50,000, but thieves dismantle them and sell the coils in the black market for only Tk10,000 to Tk15,000, causing heavy losses for farmers.

Officer-in-Charge Md Shamsul Arefin of Jhenaidah Sadar Police Station said a case has been registered and police are trying to protect people and property.

“Irrigation pump transformers are located in open fields, which makes it impossible for police to guard them continuously,” he said, adding that efforts are ongoing to keep the law and order situation under control.