As temperatures soared to a sweltering 43 degrees Celsius, Bangladesh faced unprecedented power shortages on Monday, with load shedding peaking at around 3,200MW marking the highest record of power cuts in recent times.
Officials from the power utilities disclosed that at 2pm on Monday, the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) at the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) reported a record shortfall of 3,196MW.
During the peak hours of the day, the country's power generation stood at 12,753MW against a demand of 16,200MW, resulting in a deficiency of 3,447MW. This shortfall was anticipated to worsen during the evening peak hours, with demand expected to exceed 17,200MW.
The situation on Sunday also saw significant load shedding, with 1,864MW reported at noon. The highest power generation recently was recorded at 16,233MW at 9pm last Monday (April 22), however, ongoing load shedding persisted across the country due to the increased electricity demand fuelled by the ongoing heatwave.
Rural areas, in particular, have been disproportionately affected. Officials from different power utilities at the rural level argue that the extent of load shedding is considerably underreported. Interruptions in the rural power supply often go unrecorded, exacerbating the situation for consumers who may face several hours without electricity during both day and night.
According to an official from the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), "Power outages in rural areas are so frequent that any interruption means consumers have to wait several hours to get electricity back."
Official sources indicate that the majority of the load shedding burden is strategically shifted to rural areas to prevent power outages in the capital Dhaka, and other major cities. This policy decision has significantly aggravated the hardships faced by rural populations amid the intense heat.
Moreover, state-owned Petrobangla's latest figures reveal that the country's gas production stands at 3,105 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD), significantly below the demand of about 4,000MMCFD. This gas shortage has led to several power plants, especially those reliant on gas, halting production, further straining the power supply during this critical period.
