Prolonged spell of frequent power outages degrade quality of life in Sylhet city

Residents of Sylhet city have been enduring frequent power outages over the past several days, with repeated load-shedding during both daytime and nighttime causing widespread inconvenience amid hot and humid weather.

Officials of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) said the disruptions were caused by an inadequate electricity supply from the national grid compared to local demand. 

They, however, could not say when the situation would fully return to normal, adding that the frequency of load-shedding would decline once power supply from the national grid improves.

Residents from different parts of the city said electricity has been going out several times a day and night. In many cases, power remains available for an hour before being cut again for another hour, disrupting normal life.

Helal Uddin, an employee at a business establishment in the Ambarkhana area, said repeated outages during office hours were affecting business operations.

"Power goes out several times during the eight-hour office period. Sometimes electricity remains for an hour and then goes off the next hour, causing losses to businesses," he said.

Zahid Ahmed, a resident of Bagbari area, said he faced considerable hardship after electricity went out around midnight shortly after his young child had gone to sleep.

"It took nearly an hour for power to return. Managing a small child in such conditions was very difficult," he said.

The frequent outages are also disrupting operations at shops, small businesses and offices, while people working online and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinees are also facing difficulties.

Residents have urged the authorities to take immediate and effective steps to ensure an uninterrupted power supply.

Sylhet PDB Chief Engineer Imam Hossain said the demand for electricity remained high, but the national grid was unable to provide adequate supply.

He said the electricity demand in Sylhet under the PDB's jurisdiction stood at 232 megawatts as of 7pm on Sunday, while the national grid supplied only 148 megawatts.

"As a result, we had to impose load-shedding of 84 megawatts," he said.

The chief engineer said the improvement of the situation depends entirely on power generation.

"The problem has intensified over the last three to four days. If generation increases, the supply situation will also improve. However, it is difficult to say exactly when the situation will return to normal," he added.