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The electricity crisis in Bangladesh is becoming increasingly serious. In many parts of the country, electricity is being cut for 8 to 10 hours every day. Its biggest impact is being seen in rural areas outside the capital Dhaka. The scorching heat and heatwave have further increased the problems of the people.
To deal with the power shortage, the government has ordered the closure of shopping malls, markets and shops across the country by 8 pm from Wednesday.
1,500 MW less electricity generated due to gas shortage
The biggest reason for power crisis in Bangladesh is shortage of fuel. Especially the shortage of natural gas has affected electricity production. The country buys more than 90% of its oil and about 30% of its gas from other countries.
There are two big reasons behind the current crisis…
first reasonOn July 21, a fire broke out in the LNG terminal of American company Accelerate Energy. After this the terminal was closed. At the beginning of this week, some work started again here, but by then the supply of LNG was reduced to half.
Second reason- At least two LNG vessels could not reach the terminal and unload their cargo due to bad weather at sea. The supply of electricity coming from other countries has also reduced.
Due to these reasons, electricity production in Bangladesh has decreased by about 1,500 MW.
More cuts in rural areas
Six distribution companies supply electricity in Bangladesh. The capital Dhaka is currently getting electricity as per its requirement. But around 80 electricity cooperative societies supply electricity in rural areas outside Dhaka.
The impact of power crisis is more in Mymensingh, Barishal, Rangpur, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Khulna. In most areas, electricity is being cut for 3 to 5 hours every day. In Khulna, people have complained about power failure for 9 to 10 hours.
Angry people attacked power houses
Anger among people is also increasing due to continuous power cuts. In some areas, angry people have attacked electricity facilities. There have also been reports of vandalism and arson at many places. After this the electricity department has sought help from the police for security.
The impact of power cuts is not limited to homes only. The work of farming, restaurants and factories is also being affected. Farmers have to spend more money to run diesel generators instead of electricity.
The problems of shrimp farmers are even greater. When there is power failure, the machines that supply oxygen to water stop. Due to this, oxygen in the water starts decreasing and the risk of death of prawns increases. Bangladesh is the second largest shrimp exporter in the world.
The country’s textile and garment industry is also being affected by the power crisis. This sector is very important for the economy of Bangladesh.
Government imposed restrictions to save electricity
At present, the government has little hope of getting immediate relief from the power crisis. Therefore, many restrictions have been imposed to reduce electricity consumption.
Such a step has already been taken in Bangladesh. A few months ago in April, during the growing energy crisis, the government had ordered shops and shopping malls to be closed by 6 pm.
Demand for more diesel from India
To deal with the power crisis, Bangladesh has now demanded additional diesel from India.
Bangladesh Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmood had made this demand during his meeting with Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi last week.
Mahmood told reporters that there is a pipeline with India, through which Bangladesh gets diesel. He has requested India to increase its supply.
The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline between India and Bangladesh was started in 2017. There is a 15 year agreement between the two countries. Under this, India has to give 1.80 lakh metric tons of diesel to Bangladesh every year.
India has already sent more than 30 thousand tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh in March and April during the recent crisis in West Asia.
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