Dhaka, August 14: The Awami League of Bangladesh has accused the ruling BNP government of plunging the nation into an unprecedented energy crisis. The party claims that the government has continued the “fatal policy inertia” of the previous interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus. They assert that daily power outages ranging from 6 to 12 hours have made life extremely difficult for citizens across the country.
The Awami League expressed deep concern over the situation, stating, “This crisis is no longer a minor or temporary inconvenience; it resembles a complete system failure. With severe power shortages crippling both major cities and districts, the world is left wondering if a civilized, developing nation can function properly amid such widespread institutional failure.”
Highlighting the immediate and devastating impacts of prolonged power outages on people and the economy, the party noted that the energy crisis has affected not only personal lives but also critical sectors such as education, healthcare, and industry.
The Awami League remarked, “Daily life has been reduced to enduring heat, darkness, and shortages. Families are losing sleep. Small shops close early. Cooking and daily tasks face hours of interruptions. Education has suffered significantly. In rural and semi-urban areas, students study by phone light or abandon evening studies altogether. Digital learning tools developed over the past decade become useless during long power cuts.”
The party further stated, “Production hours and competitiveness in industries and factories are declining. Reports indicate that textile units in industrial zones are frequently halting operations for hours. Rice mills are shut down. In Khulna, shrimp farming fields face oxygen shortages due to failing aerators, risking total stock loss. Irrigation pumps in Rajshahi and Natore are shutting down. Manufacturers already struggling with gas shortages now face electricity deficits, increasing diesel costs and delaying export shipments.”
The Awami League emphasized that Bangladesh’s healthcare sector is operating under significant risk, as regional hospitals and clinics heavily rely on diesel generators to run intensive care units (ICUs), perform surgeries, and maintain vaccine cold chains. The party warned that prolonged power outages pose a direct and serious threat to patient safety in a healthcare system that is still struggling to expand its capacity.
The party stated, “The entire economy suffers from this compounded loss. Bangladesh’s development model relies on manufacturing, agriculture, and foreign buyers. Continuous shortages drive up costs, reduce investments, and erode the credibility that has taken years to build.”
The Awami League asserted that the country’s energy security is not a luxury but the foundation of “modern life, education, industry, and healthcare.”
Criticizing the governments that came to power after the political turmoil of 2024, the Awami League said, “The current rulers of Bangladesh, first the interim administration and now the elected BNP government, have allowed a solvable crisis to escalate into a national emergency. The lights are going out. The question is, how much longer will the public endure this darkness?”
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