Power crisis deepens as heatwave, plant shutdowns trigger 3,000MW shortfall

The country has faced a severe electricity crisis in the past few days as an intense heatwave and the sudden shutdown of two major power plants have pushed daily load-shedding to record levels, triggering protests and road blockades on power offices across the country.

Consumers in at least seven districts took to the streets over the weekend after prolonged outages disrupted daily life and interrupted late-night FIFA World Cup broadcasts, according to a report from Samakal. 

Rural areas have been hit the hardest, with many receiving electricity for only a few hours a day, while even parts of Dhaka have begun experiencing repeated outages.

The country has an installed power generation capacity of more than 28,000 megawatts, but actual output has fallen to around 13,000-14,000MW because of fuel shortages and technical disruptions. 

With national demand exceeding 17,000MW amid the ongoing heatwave, distribution companies have been forced to shed between 2,500MW and 3,000MW of electricity daily.

Addressing parliament on Sunday, Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmood Tuku said the immediate crisis was triggered by the forced shutdown of two major power plants. 

One plant was taken offline after a boiler tube leak, while another suspended operations because rough weather in the Bay of Bengal prevented coal unloading, reducing national generation by nearly 3,000MW. 

As a result, load-shedding has become unavoidable across the country, including in the capital, he said.

The minister expressed hope that the situation would improve within the next two days once the affected generating units resume operations. He described the power shortage as a national challenge and urged citizens to remain patient while authorities worked to restore supply. 

Dhaka Tribune meanwhile reported that the two unexpected shutdowns instantly removed about 3,000MW from the national grid, forcing widespread power rationing.

The worsening crisis has fueled public anger across the country. Demonstrations erupted in Tangail, Netrokona, Rajshahi, Sherpur, Sylhet, Jhalakathi and Dohar in Dhaka district. 

Samakal reported that protesters blocked highways, surrounded electricity offices and attempted to vandalise substations after prolonged outages.

In Netrokona's Kendua, an electricity office came under attack after power went out during an Argentina World Cup match, while in Tangail protesters blocked the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge highway for hours, reported Samakal.

Power sector officials say the crisis has been compounded by several structural factors. The ongoing heatwave has sharply increased demand for air-conditioners and electric fans, while millions of battery-powered rickshaws begin charging after 10pm, preventing the usual overnight drop in electricity consumption. 

Late-night World Cup matches have further boosted demand as households stay awake into the early hours.

Mounting financial pressures have further weakened the power sector, said experts concerned. Large unpaid bills have disrupted coal procurement for several coal-fired plants, while years of delayed payments have left the Bangladesh Power Development Board with outstanding liabilities of around Tk 45,000 crore, limiting its ability to maintain generation.

The deteriorating security situation has also prompted electricity distribution companies in several districts to seek police protection for offices and substations after staff faced threats from angry consumers.

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