The origin of this network failure is not yet known. “The survey is still underway”, according to the spokesperson for the energy development council.
Le Monde with AFP
At least 130 million people in Bangladesh were deprived of electricity on Tuesday October 4 afternoon, following a network failure that led to a general failure, said the state electricity company.
The network broke down at 2 p.m. (10 am, Paris time), and with the exception of certain parts of the North West of Bangladesh, “the rest of the country is deprived of electricity”, said Shamim Ahsan, spokesperson for the energy development council. Mr. Ahsan clarified that more than two out of three inhabitants were deprived of electricity.
According to the spokesperson, the origin of this network failure is not yet known. “The investigation is still underway,” he said, adding that a technical failure could be the cause. According to a message from Zunaid Palak, Minister of Technology, published on Facebook, the supply of electricity was to be restored at 8 p.m. local time in Dacca, the capital, which has 22 million inhabitants.
Severe energy crisis
Bangladesh has been suffering for several months from a serious energy crisis due to the rise in world fuel and gas courses, which follows the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Struggling to finance the import of diesel and gas in sufficient quantity to meet the demand in electricity, Dacca had to set up “austerity measures”.
The power plants of the country operating in diesel, with a production capacity of 1,500 megawatts, and some gas power plants have been stopped. The tens of thousands of mosques in the country were ordered to operate the air conditioners only during the five daily prayers. The shortages were aggravated by the depreciation of the local currency, the Taka -about 20 % compared to the dollar, according to economists -, and the decrease in exchange reserves.
The anger of the population has intensified following many long power cuts. At least three demonstrators were killed by the police during large gatherings in Dacca against the increase in the cost of living. A hundred people were injured in a demonstration violently repressed by the police, according to the opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Consumer prices inflation has also hit household budgets and the government has recently committed to cap the price of several staple food, including rice, in order to appease the discontent of the population. Bangladesh had already experienced a major power outage in November 2014, depriving electricity about 70 % of the country for almost ten hours.