Bangladesh power crisis deepens, turns to India for fuel supplies as blackouts stretch to 10 hours

Bangladesh is facing a deepening power crisis, with prolonged electricity cuts disrupting daily life, agriculture, businesses and industrial activity across the country.

The situation has become so severe that the government has ordered shops, markets and shopping malls to close by 8 pm as part of measures to reduce electricity consumption.

The crisis is particularly acute in rural areas outside the capital Dhaka, where residents in some regions have reported outages lasting as long as 8-10 hours a day. The impact has been worsened by a heatwave, with electricity demand remaining close to 18,000 megawatts while supply has struggled to cross 13,000 MW.

Power crisis sparks attacks on facilities

The prolonged load-shedding has also triggered public anger, with frustrated residents reportedly attacking electricity infrastructure in several parts of the country.

According to a Dhaka Tribune report, incidents of vandalism and arson have been reported in Saidpur, Nilphamari and Kushtia.

The Bangladesh Palli Bidyut Association has consequently sought police protection for electricity grids, substations and offices. Several electricity cooperatives have written to local police stations requesting security deployments and regular night patrols around power installations.

Power department officials have also faced hostility while trying to collect outstanding electricity bills.

In Netrokona, officials have allegedly received threatening phone calls warning that electricity offices could be vandalised, The Daily Star reported.

Natural gas shortage at heart of crisis

The immediate problem is a severe shortage of fuel for power generation, particularly natural gas. Bangladesh imports more than 90% of its oil and around 30% of its gas, leaving its power sector vulnerable to disruptions in fuel supplies.

The latest crisis has been aggravated by two major developments.

First, Bangladesh’s LNG supply was cut by around half after a fire at a terminal operated by US company Excelerate Energy last month. The facility was shut following the July 21 incident and only partially resumed operations earlier this week.

Second, at least two LNG vessels have reportedly been unable to unload their cargo at terminals because of rough weather at sea, The Daily Star reported.

Electricity imports have also declined, further widening the gap between demand and supply.

Bangladesh’s power sector requires more than 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas every day. But current supplies have fallen to around 700 million cubic feet, severely restricting electricity generation.

The resulting shortages have affected large parts of the country, including Mymensingh, Barishal, Rangpur, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Khulna. While many areas are experiencing three to five hours of load-shedding each day, residents in parts of Khulna have reported outages lasting 9-10 hours.

Dhaka has largely been receiving electricity in line with demand, while rural areas outside the capital are served by around 80 electricity cooperatives.

Farmers, industries bear brunt

The electricity shortage is also taking a toll on Bangladesh’s economy, disrupting farming, restaurants and industrial production.

Farmers have increasingly been forced to rely on diesel generators, raising their operating costs. Shrimp farmers have been particularly badly hit as prolonged outages disrupt the aerators needed to maintain oxygen levels in ponds.

“Whenever the power goes out for several hours, we become anxious. The aerators stop working, oxygen levels in the water fall, and the shrimp begin to suffer,” The Daily Star quoted Pabitra Roy, a shrimp farmer, as saying.

Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest shrimp exporter, making disruptions to the sector a significant economic concern.

The country’s textile and garment industry, one of the main pillars of its economy, is also feeling the impact of unreliable electricity supplies.

Govt imposes power-saving measures

With officials warning that the situation may not improve in the immediate future, the Tarique Rahman-led government has introduced a series of austerity measures.

From Wednesday, shopping malls, shops and markets have been ordered to shut by 8 pm. Trade fairs and cultural programmes across the country must also conclude by the same time.

The government has further prohibited decorative lighting and ordered illuminated billboards to be switched off by 7 pm.

Hospitals and pharmacies have been exempted from the restrictions.

The measures are reminiscent of restrictions imposed earlier this year, when shops and shopping malls were ordered to close by 6 pm during an energy crisis in April amid the Iran conflict.

Bangladesh seeks more diesel from India

As the power shortage deepens, Dhaka has turned to neighbouring India for additional fuel supplies.

Bangladesh conveyed its request for more diesel to Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi during his meeting with Bangladesh Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood last week.

“We have a pipeline with India through which diesel is supplied. We have asked them to provide more,” Mahmood told reporters.

The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, which was operationalised in 2017 during the tenure of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, is an important part of Bangladesh’s energy supply network.

Under a 15-year agreement, India is committed to supplying Bangladesh with 1,80,000 metric tonnes of diesel annually through the pipeline. India had already supplied more than 30,000 tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh in March and April amid disruptions linked to the conflict in West Asia.

The request comes despite strained relations between the two neighbours following India’s decision to provide shelter to deposed Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Her recent address to the media in Delhi, her first public speech since leaving Bangladesh in 2024, has further heightened tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi.

For Bangladesh, the latest power crisis highlights the vulnerability created by its dependence on imported fuel and gas.

While additional diesel supplies from India could provide some immediate relief, the deeper challenge remains securing more reliable and diversified sources of energy to reduce the country’s exposure to disruptions in fuel imports.

With inputs from agencies