While millions across Bangladesh endure severe load-shedding, the constituencies of the government’s top electricity bosses are enjoying an altogether more comfortable power supply.
The electoral seats of Energy and Power Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood and State Minister for Power Anindya Islam Amit – along with Bogura, the ancestral district of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman – have largely avoided the worst of the nationwide electricity crisis.
Yet while residents in these favored enclaves report relatively stable supplies, the picture shifts dramatically just beyond their political borders. In Sirajganj, parts of the energy minister’s home district have seen protests over chronic blackouts, while industrial hubs in Jashore continue to buckle under severe shortages.
In urban Sirajganj, officials at the Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) insist there is no scheduled load-shedding. Md Abdullah Al Faruk and Ashith Poddar, executive engineers for the division, claimed that any outages were down to technical faults rather than generation shortfalls.
“Load-shedding in the town is very low, almost non-existent,” local journalist Golam Mostofa Rubel told TIMES of Bangladesh.
The minister’s constituency spans Sirajganj Sadar and Kamarkhand upazilas, where residents confirm power cuts are remarkably rare compared to neighboring districts. “In other upazilas, electricity goes off five to six times a day, but in these two areas it drops out only once or twice,” Rubel noted.
When asked why these pockets enjoy preferential service, Rubel remarked, “We are people from the minister’s constituency. Won’t he give us some benefits?”
The disparity was equally stark through May and June, when much of the country sweltered under intense power shortages while the minister’s voters enjoyed near-uninterrupted electricity.
Power protests erupt outside minister’s turf
The stark contrast in power distribution has fuelled mounting frustration elsewhere in Sirajganj.
On Saturday, disgruntled residents, including loom owners and local workers, staged a protest outside the Bhuiyagati regional office of Sirajganj Palli Bidyut Samity-1 in Raiganj upazila, demanding an immediate improvement in electricity supply. Demonstrators dispersed only after officials promised action.
While power remained stable in commercial hubs like Dhangara Bazar, outlying villages suffered frequent blackouts. The weaving hub of Lakshmikola was hit hardest, with crippling outages causing severe production losses.
Grid shortages persist: Md Nurul Huda, general manager at Ullapara zone (Samity-1), reported a 30MW deficit against a 120MW demand, while Samity-2 faced a 5MW shortfall.
Jashore exposed to divided fortunes
A similar divide exists in Jashore, represented by the State Minister for Power in the Sadar constituency.
Urban areas served by West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited (WZPDCL) enjoy relative immunity. Executive Engineer Md Nasir Uddin confirmed Division-1 receives its full 60MW daily requirement, eliminating scheduled load-shedding. In Division-2, home to military sites and the Software Technology Park, Executive Engineer GM Mahmud Pradhan noted a minor 5MW shortfall against a 35MW demand, easily managed without scheduled blackouts.
Mohammad Asaduzzaman Khan of Jashore Palli Bidyut Samity-1 observed that residential power remains “quite good” compared to most districts.
Yet, the state-backed comfort ends at the industrial border. Heavy industry under Palli Bidyut Samity-2 is buckling. In the key commercial hub of Noapara, General Manager Md Hadiuzzaman reported load-shedding slashing up to 40 per cent of total demand, leaving factories stranded.
Bogura escapes systemic crisis
Bogura has similarly avoided the severe blackouts hitting other regions, despite minor recent disruptions.
“Electricity hadn’t gone off for a long time, though it has fluctuated over the past few days,” Bogura Sadar resident Aminul Islam told TIMES.
Md Rafiqul Islam, general manager of Bogura Palli Bidyut Samity-1, noted that a recent 15 per cent shortfall was only temporary. Meanwhile, Palli Bidyut Samity-2 faced a 13MW deficit against a 93MW demand. General Manager Md Fakhrul Alam explained that officials were managing the gap through brief, rotated feeder cuts rather than prolonged, systemic blackouts.
