Mymensingh
Power Shortage Worsens Load Shedding
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Load shedding has intensified at Bhaluka of Mymensingh, as electricity supply has fallen to nearly half of local demand, disrupting daily life and affecting production in the area’s industrial zone.
Factory officials say the frequency of power outages has doubled over the past 30 hours, forcing industries to rely more heavily on costly backup power systems.
Residents said load shedding has increased across both the Bhaluka municipal area and surrounding villages. Rural electricity consumers reported that power remains unavailable for nearly two-thirds of the night, making life increasingly difficult during the ongoing heat.
An official at TM Textile, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Agamir Somoy that load shedding has doubled over the past four days.
“We have been experiencing twice as many power cuts as before. Maintaining production through alternative power sources is significantly increasing our operating costs,” the official said.
According to the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) office in Bhaluka, it serves around 38,000 customers, of whom about 80 percent are residential users and the remaining 20 percent are commercial and irrigation customers.
The upazila’s electricity demand is around 20 megawatts, but current supply stands at only 12 to 13 megawatts.
BPDB Bhaluka Executive Engineer Abdul Majid said load shedding has become unavoidable because electricity supply is nearly half of the area’s demand.
Meanwhile, Mymensingh Palli Bidyut Samity-2 said it serves approximately 520,000 customers, including 485,000 residential, 25,500 commercial, 5,200 industrial, and more than 4,000 irrigation consumers.
The utility’s total electricity demand is about 290 megawatts, while it is currently receiving only 210 to 215 megawatts.
Demand in Bhaluka and Gafargaon alone is around 160 megawatts, but the areas are receiving only 60 to 65 megawatts.
Akmal Hossain, general manager of Mymensingh Palli Bidyut Samity-2, said the power shortage has made load shedding unavoidable in Bhaluka.
“The supply is far below demand. The main reason is a decline in electricity generation caused by the ongoing fuel shortage,” he said.
