Bangladesh is facing a severe power crisis, with prolonged electricity outages affecting several parts of the country as a shortage of natural gas and other fuel supplies constrains power generation. In some areas, particularly outside the capital Dhaka, residents have reported outages lasting up to eight to 10 hours.
The electricity shortage is being felt most severely in rural areas. While national electricity demand has reportedly remained around 18,000 MW, available supply has struggled to reach approximately 13,000 MW. Several regions, including Mymensingh, Barishal, Rangpur, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Khulna, have experienced repeated load-shedding, with particularly long outages reported in Khulna.
A major factor behind the crisis is a shortage of natural gas, which is essential for Bangladesh’s power generation. The country’s power sector requires more than one billion cubic feet of gas a day, while current availability is reportedly around 700 million cubic feet.
The disruption has been linked partly to reduced liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies. An LNG terminal operated by US-based Excelerate Energy was shut following a fire-related incident on July 21, with partial operations resuming only recently. Rough weather has also reportedly prevented some LNG vessels from unloading at terminals.
The prolonged outages have also triggered tensions in some areas. Reports of vandalism and attacks on electricity facilities have prompted the Bangladesh Palli Bidyut Association to seek additional security for grids, substations and electricity offices.
To address the immediate fuel shortage, Bangladesh has approached India for additional diesel supplies. Bangladesh Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood reportedly raised the request with Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi during a meeting last week.
The request comes at a politically sensitive time in bilateral relations, particularly following India’s decision to provide shelter to former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after her departure from the country in 2024.
