Dhaka: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar on Thursday blamed the government’s ‘mismanagement, inefficiency, lack of foresight, widespread corruption, and politicisation of various institutions’ for the worsening power and gas crisis in the country. In a statement, he expressed deep concern over the severe shortage of electricity and gas and the resulting public suffering, strongly condemning what he described as the government’s failure to manage the power sector.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Porwar highlighted the country’s recent experience with a severe power and gas crisis, noting a significant gap between demand and supply causing widespread public suffering. The country has faced extensive load shedding since August 9, with the electricity shortfall recorded at 3,671 megawatts on August 9, 3,757MW on August 10, 3,465MW on August 11, and 3,382MW on August 12. ‘This shows that the country has faced an average power shortage of around 3,500MW in recent days,’ the Jamaat leader said, adding that both the public and the industrial sector were bearing the brunt of the crisis.
He further noted that on Wednesday, the gas supply was at 2,030 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) against a demand for 3,800 mmcfd. ‘The power and gas crisis has reached an extreme level due to the government’s mismanagement, inefficiency, lack of foresight, widespread corruption, and politicisation of various institutions,’ Porwar said. He mentioned growing public anger as the energy crisis deepened, referring to a letter sent by the Bangladesh Palli Bidyut Association to the Police Headquarters on Wednesday, seeking enhanced security at 80 rural electrification cooperatives amid the deteriorating situation.
The Jamaat secretary general cited media reports indicating that Nilphamari in the northern region was receiving 45-55MW against a demand for 80MW, while Kushtia was receiving 85-95MW against a demand for 155MW. ‘Such a situation exists across the country, prompting power-sector officials to seek enhanced security,’ he said. Porwar asserted that the crisis has worsened due to the government’s failure to make long-term decisions regarding power management.
He pointed out the disruption of production at industries and people struggling with routine household activities, including cooking, due to shortages of electricity and gas. Students are also facing disruptions to their studies, he added. ‘Overall, people’s lives have become miserable,’ the Jamaat leader stated, accusing the government of failing to implement effective measures to address the crisis, describing it as an indication of its irresponsibility towards the people.
Porwar expressed concern that the government might further exacerbate the crisis by providing renewed benefits to old oligarchs under the guise of privatising the energy sector. To alleviate public suffering, he demanded that the government increase gas supplies, stop gas theft in industries, reduce leakage and system losses, formulate necessary policies, facilitate the import of equipment for energy conversion, and take measures to prevent oil smuggling.
He also called for arrangements to import crude oil through government or private initiatives and urged the authorities to take effective measures to improve the skills of those involved in electricity generation and distribution. To address the existing crisis and ensure energy security, the Jamaat leader emphasized the need to step up domestic gas exploration by bringing in capable foreign partners for onshore reservoir management, including the use of new technologies, as well as drilling new exploration and development wells.
‘If the government fails to take initiatives to meet the basic and everyday needs of the people, it will have to bear responsibility for any situation that may arise,’ he warned.