Power controls from afar
Sahabuddin installs a power controller to a car. Photo: Amran Hossain
We are a power-starved nation. According to some statistics, access to electricity in Bangladesh is one of the lowest in the world -- around 70 percent of the total population does not have electricity. In other words, among some 30 million families, about 23 million are deprived of power, most of who live in rural areas. And neither are there any realistic chances that these people will get electricity any time soon. The persistent power crisis is a common feature of our daily lives. During summer and the irrigation season, it takes such a horrible shape that the general people lose track of how many hours they have to live and work without electricity. The problem grew such in the last few years that even the premier of the country called on countrymen several times to check their 'consumption of power' in order to reduce the crisis. Checking consumption means electricity is now being considered a scarce resource and we should consume it 'according to our coat', not an ounce more. But for the countless hours of load shedding, especially during peak hours, we generally forget whether we had switched off our home or office appliances, lights and fans before we leave. Md Sahabuddin, a young man from Gangni upazila of Meherpur, came up with a solution. Sahabuddin calls his invention the 'Power Controller'. Suppose someone, who installed the device, left his/her den with the lights and fans switched on. Later, when the person remembers, he or she can call a certain number that is set in the device. The device is connected to the electrical system of the house and will shut the power supply using software of its own. The device is not only useful in households but in vehicles as well. He said, "I have used it on my motorbike for a couple of years and I also tried using it on cars to start or switch off the engine from a distance. The result was spectacular." Sahabuddin was born and spent a quarter of his life in a village called Mohammadpur in Gangni. He came from a peasant family with 10 family members, including four brothers and four sisters. "My academic career didn't last long. Right after the secondary school certificate examinations, it literally came to an end." But the young fellow didn't lose heart. "I always had a keen interest in electronics. In fact, I own a small electrical shop in my village now." The device can also be used as a tracker. When installed, someone can easily locate his/her vehicle's exact location using a mobile phone. The idea behind this invention came when the young fellow from Meherpur was working for a certain company that had installed auto-start generators at mobile phone towers. He realised that even though the company installed the auto-start generators, due to some difficulties caused by excessive power failures, those failed to run. "If a tower fails to run, subscribers of that particular company face trouble in the area. Maintenance would become a nightmare during nighttimes and in bad weather. From that point, I thought, why not make something that can solve the situation." After several months of work, a prototype finally saw the face of light and Sahabuddin initially applied it on an irrigation pump in his village. It worked beautifully there, he said. Sahabuddin added: "The news of my invention spread quickly and a couple of stories about me were printed in some local newspapers. Then one fine morning, a gentleman who heads a well-known company involved in the automobile and power businesses, called me and asked whether I would like to work with him. I said yes, and here I am, working with my invention so that I can perfect it." Sahabuddin has not filed for a patent yet. When asked, he said he had no idea about what is, and he worries someone might steal his idea. It's an amazing story of how a person with no higher education came up with such an application, which can be so useful in our life. Even though Sahabuddin is still to comprehend the magnitude of his invention, if this device gains popularity, it could save a significant amount of power and help reduce its crisis.
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