A fatal accident involving the structural failure of 14 rural electrification poles resulted in the death of a primary school teacher in Gazipur on Tuesday, 5 May. The incident, which occurred on the Tongi-Kaliganj road in the Shimulia area, left two others in critical condition and caused extensive disruption to regional transport.
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Sequence of Events
The accident was initiated when a cement utility pole, located adjacent to a Palli Bidyut (Rural Electrification Board) substation, collapsed onto the road during the afternoon. The weight and tension of the interconnected high-voltage cables pulled down a succession of 13 additional poles.
The cascading collapse intercepted a moving battery-run auto-rickshaw. The impact of the heavy infrastructure and the subsequent electrical short-circuits created a high-risk environment, with live wires scattered across the thoroughfare. Local reports indicated that the sounds of the electrical discharges caused significant alarm among residents and bystanders.
Victim Profiles
The deceased, Shiuli Begum (45), was a resident of the Shimulia area and the daughter of the late Hasen Sarkar. She was a mother of two and served as an assistant teacher at the Tumulia Government Primary School.
The two passengers who sustained critical injuries have been identified as:
Tanmoy (16), of Bakterpur.
Puja Rani Debnath (20), of the Tumulia Mission area.
Emergency services initially transported the injured to the local Upazila Health Complex. However, due to the life-threatening nature of their injuries, they were later transferred to a medical facility in Dhaka for advanced care.
Technical Negligence and Regulatory Breaches
Preliminary findings suggest that the installation of the poles failed to meet established safety standards. According to Palli Bidyut’s internal regulations, utility poles must be anchored at a depth equivalent to one-sixth of their total length.
Evidence from the site suggests a significant deviation from these requirements:
| Parameter | Regulatory Standard | Observed Condition |
| Pylon Length | 50–60 Feet | 50–60 Feet |
| Required Depth | 8.3–10 Feet | 3–4 Feet |
| Primary Cause | Structural Stability | Inadequate Foundation |
| Infrastructure Loss | N/A | 14 Reinforced Concrete Poles |
Locals noted that this is not an isolated instance of infrastructure instability in the sector; several years prior, approximately ten poles had leaned precariously in the same vicinity, though no casualties were recorded at that time.
Official Statements and Aftermath
Md. Asaduzzaman, Additional Superintendent of Police, and Md. Zakir Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Kaliganj Police Station, confirmed that legal measures are being pursued following the teacher’s death.
While police have confirmed the commencement of an investigation, the electricity department has yet to issue an official briefing. Md. Akter Hossain, the Deputy General Manager (DGM) of Kaliganj Palli Bidyut, remained unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts to contact him via telephone.
The Tongi-Kaliganj highway remained closed for approximately three hours as emergency teams worked to remove the debris and downed power lines. Traffic resumed its normal flow at roughly 19:00.