District towns across Bangladesh are experiencing acute power outages as global energy supplies continue to be disrupted due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The situation has led to a sharp decline in electricity generation, with supply in many areas dropping to nearly half of the demand. In several regions, load shedding has taken a severe turn, with outages exceeding 10 hours a day.
On Thursday, power distribution companies struggled to maintain supply from morning until evening. Although scheduled outages were supposed to last one hour in different areas, the nationwide average exceeded two hours. Outside Dhaka, the situation is particularly dire, with some areas facing power cuts lasting eight to nine hours daily.
In Chittagong, residents are enduring daily power cuts ranging from seven to eight hours, severely disrupting normal life amid intense heat. Industrial production has also been affected. Rural areas are facing even worse conditions than the city, with electricity available for less than 10 hours out of 24.
Md Rafique, a resident of the Shangeet Residential Area under Panchlaish thana, told, “Load shedding has become unbearable over the past few days. Power goes out 10 to 12 times daily, and once it goes, it returns after about two hours. We are without electricity for at least seven to eight hours a day. In this heat, the situation has become intolerable and needs urgent resolution.”
Responding to the situation, Md Akbar Hossain, assistant director (Public Relations) of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) in Chittagong, said that electricity distribution in Chattogram, the three hill districts, and Cox’s Bazar is managed from the Agrabad office.
“For the past four to five days, Chittagong has been experiencing load shedding of six to seven hours daily. During off-peak hours, outages reach up to 111 megawatts, but during peak hours, the situation worsens due to higher demand,” he said.
According to BPDB sources, peak hours typically run from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm, when electricity demand is at its highest. Off-peak hours span from 11:00 pm to 5:00 pm the following day, when demand remains comparatively lower. However, the intensity of load shedding has been significantly higher during peak hours.
A report published on April 15 by the Chittagong Power Development Board revealed a significant gap between electricity demand and supply. On that day, power demand during off-peak hours stood at 1,384.09 megawatts, while peak-hour demand reached 1,432.73 megawatts. In contrast, load shedding amounted to 111.09 megawatts during off-peak hours and rose to 170.73 megawatts during peak hours.
Meanwhile, residents of Barisal are enduring prolonged power outages, with load shedding lasting five to six hours within a 24-hour period. The situation has left city dwellers struggling to cope with the intense heat, while business owners report mounting financial losses.
According to sources at the 33 kV substation control room in Rupatali, the combined daily electricity demand in Barisal and Jhalokathi ranges between 90 and 95 megawatts. However, only around 42 megawatts are being supplied. As a result, authorities are compelled to implement at least six hours of load shedding daily, with outages more frequent during peak hours.
Residents, including Mizanur Rahman of Kaunia and Sadeq Hossain of Circular Road, expressed frustration over the worsening situation. They said that as temperatures rise, power outages have increased, causing severe inconvenience to families. Nighttime outages, in particular, have made it difficult for children to sleep, adding to the overall hardship.
Business owners are facing even greater challenges. Traders from Chawk Bazar, including Minal Kanti Saha and Mohammad Shahin, said that due to the electricity crisis, the government has instructed shops to close by 6:00 pm. While they are complying with the directive, frequent outages between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, often occurring four times a day, are severely affecting their operations. Each outage typically lasts over an hour, discouraging customers during crucial business hours. As a result, many traders are struggling to cover daily expenses.
They also expressed concern over the lack of clear information regarding when the situation might improve, alleging that authorities have not provided definite assurances.
When contacted, Manjur Kumar Swarnakar, executive engineer of Barisal Power Sales and Distribution Division-1, told that his area has a demand of 78.5 megawatts but is receiving only 50 megawatts of electricity supply. “Under these circumstances, we are left with no option but to resort to load shedding,” he said.
Executive Engineer Manjurul Islam of Barisal Electricity Sales and Distribution Division-2 said the demand in his jurisdiction stands at 39 MW, while only 21 MW is being supplied. “Under these circumstances, we have no option but to implement load shedding,” he told.
Echoing similar concerns, Akhteruzzaman Palash, executive engineer of the Barisal 33 kV substation, said they are receiving less than half of the required electricity. “As a result, we are compelled to enforce load shedding for five to six hours daily,” he added.
In the Mymensingh zone—comprising Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Netrokona, Sherpur, Tangail, and Kishoreganj—the daily electricity demand is around 1,075 MW. However, only 750 MW is being supplied, leaving a deficit of up to 325 MW. Officials say this shortfall is causing four to five hours of daily load shedding, with rural areas experiencing nearly double that duration.
Masudul Haque, executive engineer of Power Grid Bangladesh PLC in Mymensingh, noted that the extent of load shedding fluctuates throughout the day. “It is comparatively lower during off-peak hours and increases during peak demand periods,” he said.
He further explained that the Mymensingh Power Station, with a capacity of 210 MW, is currently generating only 30 MW due to gas shortages. Likewise, the United Jamalpur and United Mymensingh power plants, which have a combined capacity of 315 MW, are producing just 67 MW amid a shortage of furnace oil. The situation has been exacerbated by a recent hike in furnace oil prices by Tk 24.59 per litre. In addition, electricity supply from major plants, including Ashuganj, Sirajganj, and Bibiyana, has declined.
However, Engineer Abul Kalam, assistant chief engineer of the Bangladesh Power Development Board in Mymensingh, claimed that load shedding remains minimal. He attributed frequent outages in rural areas to weather-related disruptions. “Storms and rainfall often cause trees to fall on power lines, leading to temporary outages. Restoration efforts take time, which may create the impression of increased load shedding,” he said.
Residents, however, paint a different picture. Abdullah, a resident of Gopalnagar village, said prolonged outages are a daily reality. “Electricity remains unavailable most of the time. Once it goes out, it takes one to two hours to return. We experience four to five hours of load shedding daily. During storms or heavy rain, outages can last the entire day,” he said, highlighting the persistent challenges faced by rural communities.
Load shedding continues unabated in Sylhet, with frequent power outages both day and night causing widespread public suffering. The situation has become particularly challenging for Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinees, whose examinations are scheduled to begin on April 21.
According to the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), Sylhet is currently experiencing load shedding of around 20–25 percent of its daily electricity demand. However, residents claim that the actual outages are more frequent and prolonged than official estimates suggest.
Panna Roy, a resident of Akhalia and a private sector employee, told, “We are going through a miserable time with our children due to constant power cuts. There was no electricity in my house from 12:00 am to 3:30 am on Wednesday. Again, it was out for an hour from 8:00 am on Thursday. Even at the office, power kept coming and going. It feels like we get electricity for an hour, only to lose it the next. On average, we are facing nine to ten hours of load shedding daily.”
Echoing similar concerns, Kobi Nombrom Shankar from Kushighat said he experienced three power outages within just two hours while visiting an office in the Nayasarak area. “We are facing at least seven to eight hours of load shedding every day,” he added.
Business owners in Sylhet have also expressed frustration over the worsening situation. Abdul Rahman Ripon, president of the Sylhet Metropolitan Business Unity Welfare Council, said, “Shops have to close by 7:00 pm, and by the time we open around 11:00 am, half the day is already gone. Even then, electricity is unavailable for a significant portion of the day. If this continues, we may be forced to shut down our businesses.”
BPDB sources said that on Wednesday, the Sylhet region recorded a demand of 170 MW against a supply of only 130 MW, resulting in a shortfall of 40 MW and approximately 25 percent load shedding. In Sylhet district alone, demand stood at 110 MW, while supply was limited to 83 MW, leading to outages exceeding 25 percent.
Mohammad Imam Hossain, chief engineer of BPDB’s Sylhet division, said the situation stems from a mismatch between supply and demand. “We are experiencing an average of 20–25 percent load shedding daily due to insufficient power supply. This is not limited to Sylhet; similar conditions prevail across the country amid the global energy crisis,” he said.
Load shedding has intensified nationwide since early April, driven in part by rising temperatures. While urban areas are coping relatively better, rural regions are facing more severe outages, often lasting six to seven hours daily on average. The situation has also increased reliance on generators.
In Rangpur, residents are experiencing power outages at intervals of one to two hours, significantly disrupting daily life. Although scheduled outages are supposed to last one hour, they often extend beyond two hours. In areas outside the district town, power cuts have reportedly reached up to 10 hours a day. The situation is even more severe at the upazila level, where load shedding occurs almost every hour after evening, totaling 10 to 12 hours daily in rural areas.
Residents said the city has been enduring continuous load shedding for the past 10 days. On Thursday morning, between 5:00 am and 9:00 am, outages occurred almost every hour across most parts of the city, except for some priority areas. Traders at District Council Super Market and Jahaj Company Shopping Complex said frequent outages are severely affecting business operations. “We don’t even get enough time to charge IPS systems,” they said, adding that daily power cuts last eight to nine hours.
Students, including SSC candidates, are also struggling to continue their studies amid persistent disruptions, raising concerns over their preparation for the upcoming exams. Shamsul Islam, an engineer at the Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) in Rangpur, said, “We are compelled to implement load shedding due to insufficient power supply from the national grid. There is little we can do under the circumstances.”
The situation is particularly acute in eight upazilas of Rangpur, where rural electrification systems are in place. These areas are experiencing at least 10 hours of load shedding daily. Biplab Kumar Pal, deputy general manager of the Badarganj Rural Electrification Association, said, “The demand in my area is 20 MW, but we are receiving only 8 MW. Under such conditions, it is impossible to meet consumer demand, leaving us with no option but to enforce load shedding.”
Khulna is facing severe and frequent load shedding as electricity supply in many areas has dropped to nearly half of the demand, pushing the situation into a critical state. In several locations, power outages are lasting for more than 10 hours a day. According to data from the West Zone Power Distribution Company (WZPDCL), load shedding reached 202 megawatts during the peak hour at 1:00 pm on April 16, with Khulna city alone accounting for 115 megawatts of the shortfall. Central control room data of WZPDCL shows that at the same time, total electricity demand under its jurisdiction stood at 762 megawatts, while supply was only 560 megawatts, resulting in a deficit of 202 megawatts.
In Khulna city, demand was 160 megawatts against a supply of 131 megawatts, leaving a shortfall of 29 megawatts. In the wider Khulna zone, demand stood at 573 megawatts while supply was 458 megawatts, creating a deficit of 115 megawatts. In the Barisal zone, demand was 189 megawatts against a supply of 102 megawatts, resulting in an 87-megawatt shortfall.
However, the ground reality appears to be more severe than official figures suggest, with residents reporting outages lasting more than 10 hours in many areas. A responsible source from the Rampal Power Plant said the facility generated 1,250 megawatts of electricity on April 16 and that production has remained stable despite ongoing global energy supply challenges. The plant continues to play a significant role in supporting the national power grid.
Despite this, residents of Khulna city report frequent outages throughout the day. Locals say power cuts occur every 30 to 60 minutes and last for 60 to 90 minutes at a time. “In our area, when electricity goes out, it does not return for one and a half hours. Even after it returns, it goes off again within 30 minutes. Overall, we are experiencing 10–11 hours of load shedding daily,” said Azmal Hossain, a resident of the Goborchaka area in the city.
Residents of Ward No. 23 in Khulna city also reported outages lasting up to two and a half hours on April 16 at midday, along with brief interruptions in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Reports were compiled by correspondents from Khulna, Barishal, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Chittagong, and Rangpur.
