ASIFUR RAHMAN

The government is preparing to raise bulk and retail electricity tariffs, citing an “unsustainable surge in subsidies” amid the ongoing fuel crunch triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.

A power division proposal, issued in early April and now awaiting cabinet approval, seeks to increase the bulk tariff by up to Tk 1.20 per unit from the current Tk 7.04.

The plan is in motion at a time when the national power deficit widened to 1,900MW yesterday afternoon, nearly double last week’s shortfall, leaving large parts of the country under prolonged outages in the sweltering heat.

Regions including Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, and Cumilla have been facing prolonged and unannounced power cuts, making daily life increasingly unbearable, with households, hospitals, and businesses struggling to cope.

In Noakhali, nearly 9.5 lakh consumers across nine upazilas are receiving only a fraction of the required supply.

Power officials say supply in some areas has fallen to less than half of demand due to reduced generation stemming from fuel shortages.

“In 24 hours, we get no more than five to six hours of electricity,” said Poli Akhter, a resident of Chatkhil. “We only get 30 to 40 minutes of power before the next outage.”

Students preparing for exams are struggling to study or sleep during prolonged outages, while hospitals are incurring additional costs to run generators.

In Khulna, demand stood at 1,800MW on Wednesday against supply of 1,500MW, leaving a deficit of 300MW, according to PDB. Residents yesterday reported outages every hour, even at night, with children, the elderly, and the sick suffering the most. In rural Dhaka, consumers of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board faced a shortfall of up to 300MW.

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