DHAKA, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's Power Division has sought 70 million taka (about 1 million U.S. dollars) from the Finance Ministry to repair damage on various power installations caused by cyclone Sidr in the southwestern part of the country.

    "We have submitted the proposal this week seeking financial allocation to repair the damage in the worst-affected southern districts," a senior Power Division official was quoted by local newspaper The Financial Express as saying on Wednesday.

    He said of the total amount, most of the money will be spent on repairing the damage under the Rural Electrification Board (REB) areas.

    Some 56 electric sub-stations and 25 transmission towers were damaged in the cyclone-hit areas across the country, REB Chairman Habib Ullah Majumder said.

    Some 1,722 distribution poles were destroyed while 7,679 more were damaged during the cyclone.

    Power Division sources said the powerful Sidr collapsed Bangladesh's entire power system resulting in failure of the country's national power grid.

    Almost the entire country went without electricity as most of the power plants had tripped causing a complete blackout.

    The national grid failed twice at around 7:00 in the morning and 5:00 in the evening local time on Nov. 16 due to the devastating cyclone that affected the country's southwestern part badly on Nov. 15.

    The electric distribution lines, poles and transformers were damaged in the gusty winds when trees uprooted by the winds fell on the lines during the cyclone in most city areas especially the southern districts.

    In Bangladesh the peak power demand normally hovers around 5,000MW against the production capacity of around 4,200MW.