Bangladesh Imposes Electricity-Saving Measures Amid Gas Shortages

Bangladesh is struggling to manage its power crisis due to gas shortages and disruptions in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies. The country's total gas supply has fallen to around 2,100 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), against a daily demand of about 3,800 mmcfd.

The government has tightened electricity-saving measures by directing shopping malls, markets, and shops across the country to close by 8pm. This is an hour earlier than the previous deadline, which allowed them to remain open until 9pm. Commercial establishments can now operate only between 11am and 8pm.

Illuminated billboards must be switched off by 7pm, while decorative lighting has been prohibited. Food shops, hospitals, and pharmacies have been exempted from the restrictions. The measures come as Bangladesh faces persistent shortages of natural gas, limiting power generation and leaving the national grid short by several hundred megawatts during peak hours.

The energy crunch has also been compounded by the Iran crisis, which has disrupted global energy markets and pushed up volatility in fuel and LNG prices. For Bangladesh, which increasingly relies on imported LNG, uncertainty over international supplies and higher import costs have made securing adequate energy more difficult.