Electricity supply systems in Akkelpur Upazila were severely disrupted after a sudden Kalbaishakhi storm swept through the area at around 1:15pm on Wednesday, leaving at least 75 villages without electricity until 10am on Thursday. Around 30,000 consumers have been affected by the prolonged outage.
According to local sources, the intensity of the storm damaged power infrastructure in several parts of the upazila. Multiple electricity poles were bent or broken, while fallen trees collapsed onto power lines, disconnecting supply routes. In several locations, snapped wires forced feeder lines to shut down entirely, causing widespread blackouts across rural communities.
The outage left many villages in darkness after sunset on Wednesday. Residents reported significant disruption to daily activities, particularly among students, shopkeepers and ordinary consumers. Many people struggled to charge mobile phones, affecting communication services. Small business owners and households also expressed concern over food spoilage as refrigerators remained out of service for long periods.
Although electricity supply resumed in parts of Akkelpur Municipality around five and a half hours after the storm, several neighbourhoods, including Hastabasontopur, Palpara, Jianipara, Shreekrishnapur and Shanta Mohalla, were still without electricity on Thursday morning.
Mahmudur Rahman, a resident of Palpara in Akkelpur municipal town, said their section had remained disconnected while nearby areas regained supply. He stated that even minor storms often interrupt electricity service in their section and added that his household had no electricity from Wednesday afternoon until at least 8am on Thursday. He also expressed concern that food stored in the refrigerator was at risk of spoiling.
Akram Hossain, a resident of Maligram village in Raikali Union, said electricity supply had remained suspended since the storm, causing considerable inconvenience for local residents.
Habibur Rahman, chairman of Gopinathpur Union Parishad, said the entire union had been without electricity since the storm struck. He noted that prolonged outages were causing severe hardship for residents.
Officials from the Akkelpur Rural Electrification Office said the extent of the damage could delay the full restoration of supply. Office sources confirmed that at least 45 electricity poles were damaged during the storm, while trees falling on overhead lines caused additional wire breakages. Repair work is currently underway at multiple damaged points, with several field teams deployed to restore the network.
The following table summarises the reported impact of the storm on electricity infrastructure and consumers:
| Category | Reported Impact |
|---|---|
| Villages affected | At least 75 |
| Consumers without power | প্রায় 30,000 |
| Time storm struck | Around 1:15pm Wednesday |
| Duration of outage reported | Until at least 10am Thursday |
| Damaged electricity poles | At least 45 |
| Areas partially restored | Parts of Akkelpur Municipality and Rukindipur Union |
Abdur Rahman, Deputy General Manager of the Akkelpur regional office under Joypurhat Palli Bidyut Samity, told local media on Thursday morning that electricity supply remained active in parts of Akkelpur municipality and Rukindipur Union. He said nearly 30,000 consumers were still without power and that repair teams were continuing efforts to restore electricity connections as quickly as possible.