Since the beginning of April, moderate to mild heatwaves have been sweeping across various districts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka.
Last year, the temperature in April was the highest recorded in the country in 76 years. As a result, the heat has already felt more intense than usual this month.
The Meteorological Department has also warned that one or two severe heatwaves might occur in mid-to-late April.
With rising temperatures, load-shedding has become a daily occurrence in Dhaka and its surrounding districts and rural areas—averaging two to three hours a day.
However, in more remote regions, the extent of load-shedding is even worse. This raises concerns about the power supply system this summer as well.
Energy experts have expressed concern over whether the necessary electricity can be supplied during this period.
According to a energy adviser, there could be as much as 1,400MW of load-shedding this summer. However, the Power Development Board (PDB) has claimed the situation is currently under control.
According to weather forecasts, there is a possibility of light to moderate rainfall and storms on Thursday in Dhaka and several districts. Despite cloudy skies and some wind, temperatures are still being felt at 34°C.
On Wednesday, mild heatwaves continued in Faridpur, Sirajganj, Feni, and Jessore. In contrast, although Dhaka’s sky appeared cloudy, temperatures were felt at 36°C until 5:30pm—4°C higher than the normal April average.
Nurunnahar, a schoolteacher from Bosila in Mohammadpur, said: “There’s wind, but the heat isn’t going down. Now there’s load-shedding too—sometimes for twenty minutes, sometimes for an hour. It was somewhat bearable during Ramadan. If this is the situation now, what will happen when it gets even hotter?”
Watermelon seller Maksud from Merul Badda raised the same question. “The electricity goes out from early dawn. Sometimes it comes back in ten minutes, other times it stays off for half an hour or even an hour. My newborn suffers a lot. Who knows when things will get fixed in this country?” he added.
According to the Power Division, the actual electricity production capacity in the country currently stands at 27,115MW. Of this, 58 gas-powered plants have a capacity of 12,000MW (44%).
Seven coal-fired plants provide 7,000MW (26%), and oil-based plants add around 5,500MW. An additional 1,160MW is imported from India, and about 1,000MW is generated from solar, hydro, and wind sources, as per the Power Division.
Energy expert Professor Shamsul Alam said: “During the previous government’s term, prices were increased multiple times, but energy supply didn’t improve. As a result, electricity production didn’t rise despite the price hikes, leading to reduced power availability and continued load-shedding. The interim government hasn’t visibly taken any significant steps to overcome these challenges. Though there have been some internal adjustments, their effects are not visible externally and are insufficient to tackle load-shedding.
"We had suggested engaging with affected parties and stakeholders to find solutions, but that was not done. The current condition of the power and energy sector hasn’t changed much compared to the past seven months.”
An analysis of demand and supply data from the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) shows that over the past 10 days, electricity demand has increased by 3,000 to 4,000MW compared to Ramadan. However, supply still falls short.
According to PGCB, electricity demand reached 14,500MW at 1am last Wednesday night—the highest recorded this year. But only 14,048MW was produced, resulting in nearly 500MW of load-shedding, also the highest recorded so far.
The latest data from Thursday shows that electricity production is more aligned with demand. As of 1pm, 14,265MW was being produced against a demand of 14,340MW, as per PGCB.
PGCB’s Chief Engineer BM Mizanul Hassan told the media: “Electricity demand is rising rapidly. One of the units of the Adani power plant is currently down due to technical issues but is expected to rejoin the grid by Friday.”
He mentioned that the shut-down unit of the Adani plant has a capacity of 1,496MW.
According to forecasts from the Power Development Board (PDB), this summer, electricity demand may exceed 18,000MW. In that case, load-shedding could reach 1,500MW.
However, if fuel imports are disrupted due to financial constraints, load-shedding could rise above 3,000MW.
To maintain stable electricity supply during the summer, 150,000 tons of furnace oil, 15,000–16,000 tons of diesel, and 40,000 tons of coal are needed daily. The power sector also requires 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day.
Sources in the Power Division state that during Ramadan, electricity production was prioritized in gas allocation, with an average supply of 1.1 billion cubic feet per day to power plants. From April, an additional 100 million cubic feet of gas is planned to be allocated.
Meanwhile, unpaid bills in the power and energy sector are increasing.
Although the interim government has settled some payments, companies are still owed over Tk50,000 crore.
They have warned the Power and Energy Division that without payment, supply disruptions may occur.
Power Division sources also say that clearing ongoing and outstanding bills will require $1.15 billion (Tk14,030 crore) by June.
The Energy Division has requested Tk20,388 crore to import 36 LNG cargoes from this month to June. Another Tk20,923 crore is needed to pay for fuel imports and repay ITFC loans.
Regarding summer preparations, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan told Dhaka Tribune: “We’ve already discussed in meetings how much electricity will be required and how much load-shedding may occur this summer (April–September). Load-shedding could range from 700 to a maximum of 1,400MW.”
He added: “We’re continuing efforts to ensure adequate electricity supply.”
Meanwhile, PDB’s Director (Public Relations) Shamim Hasan said: “We are regularly paying off dues. We hope Bippa and other power generation associations will cooperate to keep the situation normal. The current electricity supply situation is quite under control. Even though the heat has been more intense over the past few years, we’re hopeful that this summer won’t bring too many problems.”
