Power cuts have intensified with the onset of summer, hitting rural areas harder than major cities, where outages have reached up to 49 per cent of demand.
Demand has surged in the heat even as power generation lags, with a national deficit of about 1,200 megawatts, or less than 8 per cent, widening to 23 per cent at district level due to the fuel crisis.
Lower supply is weighing on industrial output, while generators, the main fallback during outages, are becoming harder to run amid a diesel shortage.
The agriculture sector is under similar pressure. Load shedding is disrupting businesses, SSC candidates’ studies and the incomes of working people as well.
Noakhali municipality resident Md Nayeem told TIMES of Bangladesh, “A few days ago the situation was tolerable, but on Thursday the power supply dropped rapidly, making the intense heat even more unbearable.”
While the Power Division is showing one level of mismatch between national demand and supply, district data point to a much wider shortfall, with the gap varying across regions.
The Power Division on Thursday projected peak national demand at 15,500MW against generation of 14,300MW. That suggests a deficit of 1,200MW, or less than 8 per cent.
District-level data, however, showed a 23 per cent shortfall, while in rural areas the deficit reached 49 per cent of demand.
Dhaka has yet to show signs of a severe crisis, but the situation is worse in the port city of Chattogram. The shortfall is higher in district towns than in major cities, and even higher in rural areas than in upazilas.
Officials said supply has to be prioritised for some installations. That is leaving residential users with a bigger shortfall.
The scale of the crisis so early in summer has already alarmed consumers.
Sylhet Ambarkhana resident Lutfur Rahman told TIMES, “Summer has just begun. If this level of load shedding continues now, it is frightening to think what lies ahead.”
Power Development Board (PDB) Sylhet division Chief Engineer Md Imam Hossain said, “The situation will not improve unless generation increases at the national level.”
Industrial output hit
PDB Chattogram Operation and Conservation Circle East Superintending Engineer AKM Jasim Uddin said Chattogram was supposed to receive 1,300-1,500MW, but supply has fallen to 1,000MW.
The shortfall is disrupting industrial production because sufficient fuel is not available to run generators as an alternative.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association Vice-President Rafiq Chowdhury said, “Four hours of load shedding requires around 50 tonnes of diesel for 300 garment factories. But even half of that is not available.”
“When daily load shedding exceeds four hours, it becomes even more difficult to maintain production using generators,” he said.
Steel re-rolling mills, cement factories and shipbreaking yards are also facing disruption.
Reliance Can Industries Managing Director Ekramul Haque from Kalurghat BSCIC industrial area told TIMES, “Global conditions have already increased business costs. Now, with more than four hours of load shedding, the situation has become even more difficult.”
Shortage more severe in rural areas
Heavy load shedding began across Sylhet city on Wednesday night and intensified from Thursday morning, with outages occurring even every half hour.
Power Division says the district is facing an average shortfall of 35 per cent. The deficit in the city stands at 25 per cent, while it is more than 49 per cent in rural areas.
Summer demand in the district is about 477MW. In the city, PDB is supplying 130MW against demand of 170MW.
In rural areas, Rural Electrification Board (REB) is supplying 167MW against demand of 307MW. That means only about two-thirds of demand is being met, with rural areas facing a much deeper crisis.
REB Sylhet Superintending Engineer Paresh Chandra Mondal said, “It does not appear that this crisis will be resolved very soon.”
In Barishal, the Power Division said district demand is 550MW, but supply is capped at 450MW.
That 20 per cent shortfall, however, does not reflect conditions in Babuganj upazila.
Local resident Maidul Islam told TIMES, “Here, electricity comes once or twice a day. The rest of the time we have to live without power.”
The upazila’s Rural Electricity Association Deputy General Manager Md Sifat said supply is 7-8MW against demand of 12MW.
Jamal Uddin from Laimpasha village in Itna upazila of Kishoreganj said, “The situation in the haor has been very bad for a week. During the day, electricity is not available even for three hours. We cannot even charge mobile phones properly.”
Imran Hasan Safirul from Hosenpur village in Mithamain upazila said, “Even when electricity supply is normal across the country, the haor faces problems. Now that there is a nationwide crisis, the situation here is much worse.”
Power plants hit by fuel shortage
Power plants in Chattogram have a combined capacity of 1,500-2,000MW, but full generation is not possible because of fuel shortages.
Raozan Power Plant Additional Chief Engineer Mohammad Mujibur Rahman said, “Our capacity is 180MW, but due to irregular gas supply, we remain idle most of the time.”
Khulna division is usually self-sufficient in generation, but the picture is different this year. The region has 10 power plants with a combined capacity of about 3,000MW.
Several plants, however, remain shut because of fuel shortages, including Khulna 330MW, Faridpur 50MW, North-West Power Company Khulna 225MW, Madhumati 100MW and Rupsha 105MW.
As a result, generation has fallen to less than half of capacity.
West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited, which covers 21 southern districts, says summer demand stands at 1,600MW, while supply is one-third lower.
The same pattern is being seen in Mymensingh division. Mymensingh district’s Rural Power Company has a daily generation target of 210MW but is producing only 30MW.
Jamalpur United Power Development has a target of 315MW but is generating only 66-67MW a day.
Northern Electricity Supply Company Rangpur Chief Engineer Md Shahadat Hossain Sarkar said, “Supply is low because generation is being disrupted due to the fuel crisis.”
Why residential areas are suffering more
Officials in Chattogram said supply is being prioritised for hospitals and government institutions, increasing load shedding at the household level.
Halishahar resident Ishrat Sharmin told TIMES, “There are children at home, and repeated power cuts are making life extremely difficult. There is no electricity for most of the day, and even at night it goes off.”
Rangpur city resident Munira Akter said, “Food in the fridge is getting spoiled. Children cannot concentrate on their studies.”
Ratri Daring from Dighalakona hilly area in Bakshiganj upazila of Jamalpur said, “We get electricity for only three to four hours in 24 hours. If there was power at night, at least we could sleep peacefully.”
Sholakya resident and journalist Saifuddin Ahmed Lenin said, “With mosquito infestation and load shedding together, daily life has become unbearable.”
Agriculture sector faces losses
Frequent outages are severely affecting agriculture. More than 70 per cent of irrigation pumps in Rangpur division run on electricity, and disputes over delayed irrigation have become common.
Gaibandha Sundarganj farmer Golam Azam told TIMES, “I have my own motor and irrigate land for at least 50 farmers. But now irrigation is not possible. Sometimes it even leads to disputes.”
Nilphamari Jaldhaka businessman Mahbubur Rahman Moni said, “Generators require extra diesel, which is also unavailable. Customers cannot stay long in shops, and employees are struggling.”
Jahangir Alam from Porabaria village in Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh said, “Load shedding is affecting poultry and fish farming. Those involved in fish fry production are suffering the most, and chickens in farms are dying.”
Jamalpur Melandah farmer Akbar Ali from Purba Pathanpara village said, “Without electricity, irrigation pumps cannot run. We have to stand in long queues for diesel, so we cannot water fields on time.”
SSC candidates worried
Frequent outages have raised anxiety among SSC candidates ahead of examinations scheduled to begin on 21 April.
Power cuts lasting half an hour to an hour are making preparation difficult in the intense heat.
Barokhadia High School Headteacher Rustam Ali in Bagha upazila of Rajshahi said, “If electricity is available for one hour, it is unavailable for two. Students are facing serious difficulties in their studies.”
SSC candidate Samira Jannat from Baniapara village said, “There is no count of how many times power goes out during the day. Once it goes, it returns after two hours. The heat makes it hard to study or sleep.”
Barishal student Anik Hossain said, “Due to extreme heat and load shedding, students cannot concentrate on their studies.”
Income under pressure
In Barishal city, load shedding is taking place 8 to 10 times a day across different areas.
Diagnostic centre employee Rafiqul Islam said the healthcare sector is also being affected.
“Without electricity, medical tests cannot be conducted. Due to the fuel shortage, generators cannot be operated,” he said.
Businessman Swapan Kar said, “Most businesses cannot function without electricity. But the situation is such that there is not even enough time to charge IPS systems.”
Rajshahi Jotsayesta village resident Khorshed Alam said load shedding has cut the income he uses to support his family of four by driving an autorickshaw.
“The battery is not charging properly. Without charge, I cannot operate the vehicle properly. It has become difficult to run the household,” he said.
Easy-bike driver Moniruzzaman Talukder from Boyra Bazar in Sarishabari upazila of Jamalpur said he is facing the same problem.
“I cannot charge the battery properly, so I cannot operate the vehicle,” he said.
Sylhet Majumdari businessman Shakil Ahmed said, “The government has instructed shops to close by 7pm, and there is load shedding every hour. It is becoming difficult to run businesses.”
[Our correspondents have contributed to the story]
