Bangladesh turns to India for help :::: Why not ??? ::: The country goes dark as it battles worst power crisis

Bangladesh goes dark as it battles worst power crisis, turns to India for help

Bangladesh is facing a worsening power crisis, with several parts of the country witnessing power outages stretching to 9-10 hours. 

In desperate measures, the Tarique Rahman Govt has ordered shopping malls and shops to close early and has also reached out to India for additional diesel supplies.

The BNP Govt has said shortage of funds was disrupting supplies.

However, the opposition NCP rejected the government’s claim that a shortage of funds was disrupting supplies.

The party cited bank figures showing gross foreign exchange reserves of around $36.9 billion and reserves of around $32 billion under the BPM6 method.  It also criticised a July 28 decision to shorten the bidding period for fuel imports for September-December from 42 days to 10, arguing that such a brief window could discourage major international suppliers, reduce competition and drive up prices.  

The power crunch is being felt particularly in rural areas outside the capital, Dhaka, with outages stretching to 8-10 hours, according to local reports. The sweltering heat and the ongoing heatwave have only added to the woes. 

Factor this: while demand has hovered around 18,000 MW, the supply has struggled to reach 13,000 MW.

The excessive load-shedding, which has been going on for days, has prompted frustrated residents to attack electricity facilities in some areas, according to a report in Dhaka Tribune.

It has forced the Bangladesh Palli Bidyut Association to seek police security for grids, substations and electricity offices. Over the past few days, local police stations have received letters from electricity cooperatives seeking deployment of police and regular night patrols at power installations. 

There have been reports of vandalism and arson in Saidpur, Nilphamari, and Kushtia.

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