Bangladesh plunged into darkness after widespread energy outage

The grid went down at 2 p.m. (10:00 a.m. Swiss time) and, aside from components of northwestern Bangladesh, “the remainder of the nation is with out energy,” the spokesman stated. Vitality Improvement Council, stating that greater than two out of three inhabitants had been with out electrical energy.

Based on the spokesperson, the origin of this community failure is just not but recognized. “The investigation continues to be ongoing,” he stated, including {that a} technical failure might be the trigger.

Based on a message from Zunaid Palak, Minister of Expertise, posted on Fb, electrical energy provide can be restored at 8 p.m. native time in Dhaka, the capital, which has a inhabitants of twenty-two million.

Severe vitality disaster

Bangladesh has been struggling for a number of months from a critical vitality disaster as a result of rise in world costs of gasoline and gasoline, following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Struggling to finance the import of diesel and gasoline in adequate amount to fulfill the demand for electrical energy, Dhaka needed to introduce “austerity measures”.

Again to a validated system, the candle, to gentle up after the facility minimize that affected nearly all of Bangladesh. [Mahmud Hossain Opu – Keystone]

The nation’s diesel energy crops producing electrical energy, with a producing capability of 1,500 megawatts, and a few gas-fired energy crops have been shut down. Tens of hundreds of mosques throughout the nation have been ordered to solely run air conditioners throughout the 5 each day prayers.

The shortages have been compounded by the depreciation of the native foreign money, the taka – by round 20% in opposition to the greenback, economists say – and dwindling overseas trade reserves.

>> Learn additionally: The irresistible advance of the greenback raises fears for the worst for different currencies

Fed up with the inhabitants

The anger of the inhabitants intensified following quite a few and lengthy energy cuts. At the least three protesters had been killed by safety forces throughout giant rallies in Dhaka in opposition to the rising price of residing.

100 folks had been injured throughout an indication violently repressed by the police, in response to the opposition get together Bangladesh Nationalist Social gathering.

Shopper value inflation has additionally hit family budgets exhausting, and the federal government has not too long ago pledged to cap the worth of a number of staple meals, together with rice, to assuage public discontent.

Bangladesh had already skilled a significant energy outage in November 2014. About 70% of the nation was then with out electrical energy for nearly ten hours.

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