Early Closures Begin
Bangladesh has ordered shops, markets and shopping malls across the country to shut by 8:00 pm, tightening electricity-saving measures as a severe gas shortage hammers power generation and leaves parts of the country battling lengthy blackouts.
Footage captured on Sunday shows traders at Baitul Mukarram Market in Dhaka pulling down shutters and locking market gates as the new deadline bites.
The Power Division issued the directive on August 12, allowing shops and markets to trade from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, cutting an hour from the previous closing time. Hospitals, pharmacies and food businesses are exempt.
Traders Voice Concerns
The government hopes the earlier shutdown will slash electricity use and take pressure off the grid as falling gas and LNG supplies squeeze power generation. Load-shedding has reportedly topped 3,000 MW in recent days, while some areas have endured hours without electricity.
But traders say they are being forced to sacrifice some of their most valuable evening business, while lights elsewhere stay on.
“We will save some electricity for one-two hours and nothing else. The electricity on the sidewalks keeps burning and does not stop, the market is paying VAT tax, but the market is closing, the sidewalk shops, the neighbourhood shops are not closing,” Monir Hossain stated.
The clampdown brings the government-ordered closing time forward by one hour. Under rules introduced on June 11, shops and markets had been allowed to stay open until 9:00 pm.
Energy Crisis Deepens
“The office closes at 5:00 pm and goes home at 6:00 pm. After that, people go home, have breakfast, go around with their families, and then come to the market. Considering that, if the market can be opened at 11:30 am and closed at 9:00 pm, it would be better,” Sirajul Islam added.
Illuminated billboards must also be switched off by 7:00 pm, decorative lighting must stay off and fairs, trade fairs and cultural events are required to finish by 8:00 pm.
Bangladesh’s power crunch has been caught in the fallout from the Iran war. Fighting and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz have hammered LNG shipments from Qatar, Bangladesh’s biggest supplier, with QatarEnergy halving its scheduled deliveries to the country this year.
The squeeze has left Dhaka scrambling for replacement cargoes as shrinking domestic gas supplies and a fire at one of the country’s two floating LNG terminals pile even more pressure on the grid.
Article by Viory
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