Bangladeshis blow their fuses over power shortages

DHAKA, Sep 28 (Reuters) Thousands of people set fire to power supply offices and attacked government vehicles in Bangladesh's capital today in protest over electricity shortages, witnesses said.

More than 150 people were injured as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets during pitched battles with the protesters.

A Reuters photographer saw thick smoke billowing from a power distribution office in Dhaka's Mirpur area after a mob of about 5,000 people set it ablaze early today.

Protesters also torched a police vehicle and burned tyres on the streets of the capital, home to at least 10 million people.

Residents are incensed by rolling blackouts in Dhaka just as the country celebrates the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began on Monday. Most of Bangladesh's 140 million people follow Islam.

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.'' A shortage of drinking water and rising prices of essential goods have also frayed tempers.

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

State Minister for Home Affairs, Lutfuzzaman Babar, said power to factories would be reduced and diverted to households in Dhaka for a few hours each night.

At least 18 power generation plants out of 61 in total are shut for technical faults or maintenance, and plans to build new power stations are stalled 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.

Protests were also reported in Chittagong today which has also been hit by lengthy blackouts.

Sporadic clashes and the highway blockade stopped temporarily when heavy rain and strong winds swept Dhaka in the afternoon. The rain continued at the nightfall.

Fearing further clashes, authorities in a televised statement regretted their inability to resume electricity supplies in most troubled areas where power distribution centres were set on fire.

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

REUTERS SP HT1940