Police have arrested five people, including a local leader of the Jubo Dal, in connection with the alleged theft of electrical transformers belonging to the rural power network in Madarganj upazila of Jamalpur.
The arrests were made during separate raids in different parts of the upazila on Monday night, 14 September. The five suspects were produced before a court on Tuesday, 15 September, and subsequently sent to jail, police said.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Abinur, Selim, Sumon and Sumon alias Nuru Mia, all from the Nadagari area of Balijuri Union. The fifth suspect is Russel Mia, a resident of Gabergram. He is the general secretary of the Jubo Dal unit in Ward No. 3 of Madarganj Municipality.
Police said several pieces of equipment allegedly used in transformer theft were recovered during the raids. The seized items are being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
According to police and local sources, more than 26 electrical transformers have reportedly been stolen from different unions of Madarganj over the past two months. The repeated thefts have disrupted electricity supplies in affected areas, causing difficulties for local residents and farmers.
Transformer theft can create wider problems for rural communities because the equipment is an essential part of the local electricity distribution system. When a transformer is removed, electricity supply to the connected area can be interrupted until the damaged or missing equipment is replaced and the network is restored. For farmers, prolonged interruptions can also affect the operation of irrigation equipment in areas dependent on electricity.
The Madarganj Palli Bidyut Zonal Office lodged complaints with the police following the transformer thefts. Investigators subsequently began looking into the incidents and, according to police, identified a suspected group involved in the thefts.
The arrest of Russel Mia, who holds a local organisational post in the Jubo Dal, has also prompted a response from the organisation. Abdullah Al Mamun, convenor of the Madarganj municipal Jubo Dal, said the organisation would not take responsibility for any wrongdoing committed by an individual.
He said that if the investigation establishes the leader’s involvement in the alleged offences, strict organisational action would be taken against him.
Madarganj Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Snehasish Roy said the suspects were questioned initially and several items believed to have been used in the thefts were recovered. Police are now working to identify and arrest the alleged masterminds behind the suspected theft network.
The police have sought a seven-day remand for the five suspects after producing them before the court. Investigators hope that questioning the suspects may help establish how the thefts were carried out and identify others who may have been involved.
The OC said police were continuing efforts to bring everyone allegedly connected with the transformer thefts under the law. The investigation into the incidents remains ongoing.
