Power protests in Bangladesh

subscribe

Protests against power shortages in energy-starved Bangladesh turned violent as the country experiences a record 2,000-megawatt shortfall against a demand for at least 6,000 megawatts of electricity.

Hundreds of people stormed a power office in Narayanganj, a town outside Dhaka. At least 50 people, including policemen, were injured.

Protesters blocked roads and railways, with similar violent protests reported in northwestern Rajashahi and six other towns.

"Attempts to destabilize law and order by protesting about issues of power, gas and water will be dealt with strictly," Home Minister Sahara Khatun told reporters after an emergency inter-ministerial meeting, Press Trust of India reports.

She said the government would make "maximum efforts" ensure uninterrupted supply of water, electricity and natural gas, particularly during the month of Ramadan, which began, adding that it would depend "on the capacity of relevant departments."

Only about 40 percent of Bangladeshis have access to electricity, with frequent power outages the norm across the country.

Water shortages are also a problem. The 2010 Global Annual Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water by the World Health Organization states that more than 30 million people in Bangladesh do not have access to safe drinking water.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina blamed the country's power crisis on the former BNP-Jamaat coalition government, saying that it had kept the power sector in a fragile state.

"During our previous tenure from 1996 to 2001, we have raised the country's power production to 4,300 megawatts from 1,600 megawatts and undertaken various projects to raise generation up to 5,500 megawatts," The Daily Star quoted her as saying.

But when the BNP-Jamaat government assumed office, she said, it didn't take the initiative to raise power production.

"Rather, they had destroyed the vital sector through looting and mismanagement that increased sufferings of the people," she said.

Hasina said her administration has added 1,000 megawatts of electricity during the last year and a half and has taken steps to increase power production by setting up new plants and repairing old ones.

"We are making all out efforts to improve the situation to minimize sufferings of the people," the premier said.

Bangladesh signed a landmark 35-year power transmission agreement with India last month to import 250 megawatts of electricity starting from late 2012.

In May, Bangladesh and Russia signed a framework agreement for Bangladesh's first nuclear plant, expected to produce at least 2,000 megawatts of electricity by 2020.

Related News

 Illinois Could Challenge New York in Utility Innovation

With New Distributed Energy Rebate, Illinois Could Challenge New York in Utility Innovation

NEW YORK - How does the electric utility fit in to a rapidly-evolving energy system? That’s what the Illinois Commerce Commission is trying to determine with its new effort, "NextGrid". Together, we’re rethinking the roles of the utility, the customer, and energy solution providers in a 21st-century electric grid.

In some ways, NextGrid will follow in the footsteps of New York’s innovative Reforming the Energy Vision process, a multi-year effort to re-examine how electric utilities and customers interact. A new approach is essential to accelerating the adoption of clean energy technologies and services in the state.

Like REV, NextGrid is gaining national…

READ MORE
lower Ontario electricity rates

Ontario tables legislation to lower electricity rates

READ MORE

paris-finalises-energy-roadmap-for-2025-2035-with-imminent-decree

Paris Finalises Energy Roadmap for 2025–2035 with Imminent Decree

READ MORE

russian-strikes-on-western-ukraine-cause-power-outages

Russian Strikes on Western Ukraine Cause Power Outages

READ MORE

Australia PM rules out taxpayer funded power plants amid energy battle

READ MORE