Bangladesh power shortage triggers violent protests

DHAKA, Sep 28 (Reuters) Thousands of people went on a rampage in the Bangladeshi capital today, setting fire to power supply offices and attacking government vehicles in the latest protests over electricity shortages, witnesses said.

More than 150 people were injured as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets in pitched battles with the protesters, incensed by the worst outages in Dhaka which have come during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that began on Monday.

A Reuters photographer said he saw thick smoke from a power distribution office in Dhaka's Mirpur area that had been set fire to by a 5000-strong mob early today.

The protesters also set on fire a police vehicle in the old quarter of Dhaka and burned tyres on the streets.

Another group of protesters squatted on the highway linking Dhaka with the port city of Chittagong in the south, demanding uninterrupted power supply.

''We have spent two nights without electricity,'' said Azad Majumder, a resident of Mirpur. ''Children are falling sick, everybody's life is becoming a hell.'' Police chased stone-throwing protesters down narrow alleys of the city of 10 million people.

A shortage of drinking water and rising prices of essential goods have fueled the anger.

State Minister for Home Affairs, Lutfuzzaman Babar said ''enemies'' of the government were behind the protests. But he did not give any names.

A 14-party opposition alliance led by the Awami League has been running a street campaign for months to force the government to accept electoral reforms ahead of elections next year.

Protests were also reported from Chittagong today which has been hit by power shortages running into hours.

Bangladesh faces a daily electricity shortfall of 2,000 megawatts and the situation is unlikely to improve for several years, officials said.

State minister Babar said power to factories will be reduced and diverted to households in Dhaka for a few hours each night.

At least 18 power generation plants out of a total of 61 are shut for technical faults or maintenance, and plans to build new power stations have not taken off because of lack of funds.

''We urge the consumers to be patient and give us some time to repair power plants and increase production,'' A N M Akhtar Hossain, secretary of the Power Ministry, told reporters.

More than 20 people, most of them farmers, were killed in clashes with police in northern Bangladesh early this year during demonstrations for power for irrigation.

REUTERS SP PM1558