DPDC to enforce shop closure past 8pm

Although the government had ordered all shops to close after 8pm in an effort to conserve energy, it has said that the directive is not being followed in the capital, where the majority of stores are staying open till 11pm.

In this regard, the Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) has formed a committee to investigate the claim that traders allegedly reopened their stores following the monitoring team’s inspection.

DPDC Managing Director Bikash Dewan told The Business Post that the monitoring team was visiting the designated areas alongside the police.

“But nothing can be done by the government alone if the people are unaware. If businesses remain open past 8pm, their power connection will be severed,” he said.

In the meantime, the Power Division has instructed the distribution companies to send SMS notifications to customers in their respective areas regarding the ongoing load shedding.

The order was issued on Wednesday in a letter signed by the Power Division’s Deputy Secretary, Zahidul Islam.

According to the directive, customers should be informed about load shedding through two SMS notifications, one apologising for the inconvenience and the other informing about hotline contacts, complaint centres and concerned duty officers about any grievances.

Meanwhile, despite being mandated for one hour per day across the nation, load shedding is currently occurring for 7-8 hours in many districts.

The northern region, in particular, has become the worst affected.

According to the power division, the coal shortage has caused the Barapukuria thermal power plant to produce less than half of its 200MW capacity, which has exacerbated the crisis.

There is concern that the situation may deteriorate in the near future.