Supply power generated in Cox's Bazar-Ctg to local areas

Power transmission line. Wikipedia

The assurance of uninterrupted power supply during Ramadan is lost as the heat rises in early summer. 12 to 14 hours of load shedding is happening in rural areas of Cox's Bazar-Chittagong region for several days. There is no electricity even during iftar and sehri, load shedding is observed two to three times an hour. Once there is no of electricity for two-three hours. people suffer due to repeated power outages in this hot summer.

Normal activities including irrigation for agricultural production are being disrupted. To deal with the situation, the distribution companies are struggling as they claim that the power supply is not available as per the demand from the national grid. Because of this, different areas are getting 30 to 50 percent less electricity than the demand. They fear that if the supply from the national grid does not increase, the level of suffering will increase further.

According to the Power Grid Company (PGCB), the electricity demand is now around 16,000 MW, which may increase to 17,500 soon. However, in the last two-three days, the maximum production has been 14,000 megawatts. Although the production capacity is 26 thousand MW. Due to energy crisis, load shedding has to be done as production does not match demand.

In this situation, the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) of Chittagong, a national organization that protects the interests of the country's consumers, has expressed deep concern over the extreme load shedding in the area of Rural Electrification Development Board in Cox's Bazar-Chittagong, demanding to urgent increase in the supply of electricity from the national grid and supply the electricity produced by local power plants to local areas. the leaders said.

On 06 April 2024 Cox's Bazar-Chittagong CAB central committee Vice President SM Najer Hossain, CAB Chittagong Divisional General Secretary signed a statement demanding to increase the supply of electricity from the national grid and supply the electricity produced by local power plants to local areas. Kazi Iqbal Bahar Chhaberi, CAB Metropolitan President Jasmine Sultana Paru, General Secretary Ajay Mitra Shanku, CAB Chittagong South District President Alhaj Abdul Mannan also signed the statement.

In the statement, the leader said, the life of the people in the rural areas is extremely disturbed due to hour after hour load shedding in Cox's Bazar-Chittagong and Rural Electrification Board areas of Chittagong Hill Tracts. In some places there is no electricity for six to eight hours sometimes extending to 12 to 14 hours, day and night. Again, the Cox's Bazar-Chittagong region is being kept in the dark by taking the electricity produced in Chittagong to the national grid, which is a gross discrimination against the people of this area.

The Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board buys electricity from the government's Bangladesh Power Development Board-BPDB which produces power,  and supplies it to rural consumers. As a result PDB discriminates there. PDB keeps more for itself and gives the rest to rural electrification board. As a result, rural electricity consumers who live in villages are the most discriminated and suffer.

The Cab leaders expressed their anger and said that the production of power in this region is more than the demand, yet load-shedding is being done indiscriminately in Chittagong. An average of 1685 megawatts of electricity is being produced in the power plants in Chittagong. And the demand of Chittagong is 1180-1200 MW. Out of this, 385 to 400 MW of electricity is being produced per day from SS Power Plant located at Banshkhali of  S Alam Group, Chittagong. 206 megawatts of electricity is being produced at Shikalbaha power station. An average of 630 to 650 MW of electricity is being produced from the 1200 MW coal-based power plant of Maheshkhali Matarbari. On the other hand, 30 megawatts of electricity is being produced from one unit of Kaptai hydro power plant. Also, 60 MW of electricity is being produced from Khuruskul Bio Power in Cox's Bazar. The electricity produced in all these power plants is not going to Cox's Bazar-Chittagong region but it is going to Narayanganj. – Press release