Staff Reporter :
Dr. Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Adviser for Power and Energy in the interim government, assured on Wednesday that measures are underway to address the current power supply crisis. He expressed optimism that the situation would see significant improvements within the next three weeks.
The adviser’s comments come in response to escalating load shedding issues nationwide, which have plagued the country in recent days.
According to officials, inadequate gas supply and technical faults at various power plants are primarily responsible for the worsening situation. Dr. Khan revealed that he recently held a coordination meeting with the Power Division and Energy Division, where both divisions’ secretaries were present. During this meeting, he highlighted several key updates: The Rampal power plant, which had been offline due to technical issues, has resumed production.
The Barapukuria coal-fired power plant, which had three units shut down for technical reasons, is expected to return to full operation soon. The adviser emphasized that steps are being taken to resolve issues at the 525 MW Barapukuria power plant.
Technical problems at Summit Group’s Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU), also known as the LNG Terminal, have been resolved. The terminal is now awaiting resumption of production, with an estimated 20 days required to import LNG from abroad.
Additionally, Dr. Khan noted that efforts are underway to clear pending bills with the Adani Group to ensure continued power supply from their plant.
Despite these efforts, load shedding continues to increase across the country. Recent reports indicate that power generation from gas-based stations remains below required levels. Official sources state that the country has experienced over 2,000 MW of load shedding in recent days to meet a demand of 15,500 MW. As of Wednesday, load shedding was reported to be below 1,500 MW during daytime hours.
Officials from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) attribute the ongoing issues to insufficient gas supply. According to BPDB data, 4,169 MW of electricity is currently not being produced due to the lack of gas supply to numerous plants. The available data shows that the country produced 2,564 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of gas against a demand of approximately 4,000 MMCFD.
Dr. Khan’s commitment to addressing the power crisis underscores the interim government’s proactive approach to resolving the energy challenges facing Bangladesh.