Two Rajshahi stadiums paying bills on unused floodlights for over 18yrs

Two Rajshahi stadiums – Shaheed AHM Kamaruzzaman Divisional Stadium and Muktijuddho Smriti Stadium – are having to pay more than Tk1 lakh a month against the allotment of an extra electricity load for floodlights that have remained unused for more than 18 years.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) manages the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium, which was built in 2004 with a seating capacity for 35,000 spectators to popularise cricket in the region.

Mahmud Jamal, former director of BCB and former general secretary of the divisional sports association, said in 2012 and again in 2015, some bulbs were removed from the floodlights because of no night matches here and taken to Chattogram.

"The bulbs were never returned and the remaining ones are packed in stores," he said.

The Muktijuddho Smriti Stadium had floodlights even before that. But here too the floodlights are not doing much. Several years ago, a floodlight tower collapsed in a storm while another had a crack and some bulbs from this stadium were also taken for the Chattogram stadium.

Electricity is supplied to both the stadiums from the Sales and Distribution Division-III of Northern Electricity Supply Company Limited (Nesco).

For Muktijuddho Smriti Stadium, the payable bill in August was Tk45,927, including the demand charge of Tk24,000, as a 400kw load is allotted for lighting the floodlights.

Wahedunnabi Anu, general secretary of Rajshahi District Sports Association, said, "We have to pay a demand charge for floodlights every month whether the lamp is lit or not. Besides, there are other electricity bills, including office lights and air conditioners. We pay the electricity bill every month. There is no outstanding bill for any month."

For the divisional stadium in Terokhadiya area of the city, the electricity bill for August was Tk1,20,446, including Tk60,000 in demand charge, as a load of 1,000kw is allotted for lighting the floodlights. So, even if the floodlights are not lit, the demand charge has to be paid for this stadium every month.

Farooq Ahmed Sarkar, deputy director of National Sports Council Rajshahi, said, "Electricity bill comes to me and I send the bill to the BCB that makes the payment."

Arefin Islam, venue manager of Shahid AHM Kamaruzzaman Divisional Stadium, said the National Cricket League, BPL, Divisional level cricket, national level under-18, 19 and national cricket team practice matches are also held in the divisional stadium. Hence, apart from the floodlights, the electricity bill comes due to the use of ACs and lights in the office.

Nesco's Sales and Distribution Division-3 Executive Engineer Shariful Awlad said due to excess load, the bill may rise from Tk1,00,000 to Tk1,10,000 as a minimum charge for the divisional stadium. At the district stadium, the bill can be Tk40,000 to Tk50,000.

National Sports Council Director (Development and Planning) Muhammad Sarwar Jahan, said, "Sporting events are usually organised in Dhaka's Mirpur, and Chattogram and Sylhet stadiums in the country. Floodlights are used in those stadiums."

He added that the floodlight bulbs will be wasted if they are not used at all.

"If BCB organises night games in Rajshahi too, we will install bulbs for the floodlights," he said.