Residents in Sirajganj town are enjoying uninterrupted electricity supply during the ongoing heatwave, even as widespread power shortages leave much of the country struggling.
But beyond the town, the situation across rural parts of the district is markedly different, with frequent outages frustrating households and disrupting daily life.
Sirajganj town is the parliamentary constituency of Energy, Power and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmud Tuku, prompting questions over uneven power distribution.
“There is heavy load-shedding in villages, but not in the town. Even when the power goes out in town, it returns within half an hour. In villages, electricity barely stays,” local journalist Golam Mostafa Rubel told TIMES of Bangladesh.
Zahid Hossain, a pharmacy owner in the Dargapara area, said outages had been frequent until recently.
“Earlier, power would go off four to five times a day. People were fed up. But from Saturday to Wednesday, there has been no load-shedding. It has brought relief,” he said.
Officials deny any preferential treatment.
Rafiqul Islam, executive engineer of Northern Electricity Supply Company Division-1, said the area benefits from solar generation.
“We have a solar system, so there is no load-shedding during the day. At night, demand is lower,” he said.
He added that a government solar power plant with a capacity of 62 megawatts operates in the area, although he could not confirm when it was commissioned.
According to the official, the power demand within Sirajganj municipality is about 15 megawatts, but he did not provide figures for the rest of the district or explain the weaker supply in rural areas.
The outages outside the town are taking a toll.
Weaving operations, a key local industry, have been disrupted, while students preparing for Secondary School Certificate exams face difficulties studying.
Kallol Sarkar, a loom owner in Pachlia village of Ullapara upazila, said production had been hit.
“We face load-shedding four to five times a day. Fabric production is being disrupted. We cannot run diesel machines either due to fuel shortages, but we still have to pay workers,” he said.
Nurul Haque, a resident of Tarash upazila, said rural areas are bearing the brunt.
“Load-shedding is worse in villages than in towns. Frequent outages mean we cannot irrigate fields properly,” he said.
The contrast between urban and rural power supply seen in Sirajganj is broadly reflected across the country. In some areas, prolonged outages have left people unable even to charge essential devices and batteries.
However, official estimates of load-shedding do not appear to match the severity of the situation on the ground.
According to figures published by the state-run Power Grid Company on Wednesday, potential load-shedding during peak hours nationwide was estimated at 2,338 megawatts, against a projected peak demand of 15,700 megawatts. This suggests a supply shortfall of around 15 per cent.
The figures have raised questions about their credibility, as many parts of the country are experiencing hourly outages.
Md Zahurul Islam, member (Generation) at the Power Development Board, acknowledged the discrepancy but offered limited explanation.
“There is load-shedding. But as there is debate over its extent, multiple supervisory teams and committees under the ministry are now monitoring the situation,” he said.
Outages worsen in Bogura after PM’s visit
Electricity supply in Bogura deteriorated after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit earlier in the week, with residents reporting frequent outages just a day after uninterrupted service during the trip.
On Monday, when the PM visited Bogura, the town experienced stable electricity, offering relief to residents.
But disruptions resumed the following day.
Abdul Aziz, an employee at a private educational institution in the town, said power went out four times at hourly intervals from 9am on Wednesday.
According to Mannaf Mia, executive engineer of Northern Electricity Supply Company, Bogura town is receiving about 22 megawatts of electricity against a demand of 30 megawatts.
He said most of the available supply is directed to the town, leaving suburban and rural areas with limited access.
In Paikar village of Kahalu upazila, farmer Enamul Haque said outages occur six to seven times a day.
“Power cuts disrupt sleep at night, and we cannot irrigate Boro fields properly,” he told TIMES.
NESCO Project Director Hamidur Rahman said power demand in Shibganj, Sherpur and Sadar areas of Bogura stood at 95 megawatts on Tuesday, while supply was 75 megawatts.
Officials from the rural electricity board said their demand is around 90 megawatts, but they are receiving less than half.
Fish farms hit in Satkhira
In Satkhira, the combined impact of extreme heat and power shortages is disrupting daily life and raising concerns over fish production.
Sheikh Farid Ahmed Moyna, a resident of Katia Sarkarpara in Satkhira town, said the area faces nearly six hours of outages daily.
“The heat is intense, and the power cuts are making it unbearable,” he said.
G M Harun ur Rashid from Boro Dal village in Assasuni upazila said outages are relatively fewer during the day but worsen after 9pm, with electricity often unavailable through the night.
He said his 25-bigha fish farm is suffering as electric pumps cannot be operated regularly, leading to fish deaths in the heat.
Outages deepen in Mymensingh villages
In parts of Mymensingh, prolonged power cuts are leaving even basic coping tools unusable.
A parent of an SSC candidate in Nandail upazila said they bought a rechargeable fan to cope with the heat, but could not keep it running.
“My daughter’s exams are ongoing. We bought a rechargeable fan because there is no electricity, but we cannot even charge it due to the outages,” the parent said.
In Digha Puliadi village of Gafargaon upazila, retired schoolteacher Mojibur Rahman said electricity is available for no more than five to six hours a day, with conditions worsening at night.
“Power comes in the evening but goes off after half an hour. Then it returns for an hour at night before another blackout,” he said.
Golam Mostafa, a cloth trader at Nowhata Bazar in Gauripur upazila, said electricity rarely lasts more than half an hour in the morning.
Dire situation in haor areas
In the haor wetlands of Kishoreganj, residents describe an even more severe crisis.
Alamgir Farid, a resident of Laimpasha village in Mriga union of Itna upazila, said electricity supply has been extremely fragile over the past week.
“We are not getting even four hours of electricity a day. Earlier, outages happened during bad weather, but now even in good conditions there is no supply,” he said.
In Hossainpur village of Mithamain upazila, Md Azizur Rahman said he is unable to charge his auto-rickshaw regularly, directly affecting his income.
He added that food stored in refrigerators often spoils, forcing him to stop preserving perishable items.
Md Atikuzzaman Chowdhury, general manager of Kishoreganj Palli Bidyut Samity, disputed the severity of the crisis.
He said demand in the areas under his jurisdiction is around 170 megawatts, with a shortfall of about 40 megawatts, and claimed that haor regions receive at least 15 to 16 hours of electricity a day.
