Engineer allegedly assaulted after intervening in union protest at PDB office

A Power Development Board (PDB) engineer was reportedly assaulted at the utility's Chattogram office after stepping in during a dispute between Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) leaders and a female executive engineer. The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon on the fifth floor of the PDB building in Agrabad, with a video of the confrontation circulating on social media.

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I was alone in the room. I asked them to calm down and speak properly.

According to PDB officials, approximately 35 to 40 individuals gathered outside the office of Nilufarin Akter, a system analyst and executive engineer. They were protesting the recruitment of a worker on a "no work, no pay" basis. Nilufarin alleged that 20 to 25 people entered her office aggressively. When Assistant Engineer Mehedi Haque entered the room to question their behavior towards a female officer, he was allegedly pulled out and assaulted.

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After that, they pulled him out of the room and assaulted him.

Following the incident, Nilufarin submitted a written complaint, and CCTV footage was collected. An executive engineer later filed a general diary at the Double Mooring Police Station regarding the alleged assault on Mehedi. In response, PDB headquarters ordered the transfer of four employees: plant operator Md Hafizur Rahman, lineman Md Nurunnabi, electrician Md Shafiqul Islam, and driver Md Ayub.

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An engineer came and created a disturbance. There was some pushing and shoving.

However, CBA leaders denied the assault allegations. Nazrul Islam, joint general secretary of the PDB CBA in Chattogram, stated that the organization protested the recruitment, claiming it occurred without consultation. He described the engineer's intervention as causing a disturbance, with "some pushing and shoving." The CBA plans to hold a protest meeting against the transfer orders. PDB Chattogram Chief Engineer Kamal Uddin Ahmed confirmed that both sides submitted complaints, noting that CBA members allegedly behaved improperly with engineers and that assault allegations were made, alongside counter-allegations from the CBA. The matter is under investigation by PDB headquarters.

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CBA members behaved improperly with an executive engineer and an assistant engineer. We have also received allegations of assault. The CBA leaders have submitted counter-allegations as well.