‘There is no load-shedding in Bangladesh’

He said this on Monday while answering a supplementary question in Parliament.

According to the Power Development Board (PDB), power generation on Sunday exactly matched the demand of 6,322 megawatt (MW). The picture was the same on several previous days.

But the ministerial claim notwithstanding, load-shedding was reported in some parts of the country on those days.

Hamid last month in Parliament said that those outages had been necessary for maintenance work.

He on Monday claimed, “Power generation under the past ministers had not increase in the past 42 years. Generation capacity was only 3,000MW when the present government took office in its previous term; today it is 11,000MW.”

He, however, admitted that there was a shortage of gas needed for power production.

Responding to another query, he said, “The gas supply shortage was least 500 million cubic feet per day against demand.”

The government in its last term had increased its production by 588 cubic feet, he said. But expansion and supply of gas connections to new areas had been put on hold because of the shortage.

However, the state minister said the government had decided to resume giving gas supply in residential areas. “But this applies only to areas that already have with gas lines. There is no plan to grant new connections.”

Hamid assured that residential gas shortage would be over in two months.

“Two compressors at Ashuganj and Elenga are being set up. There won’t be any problems once they are up and running,” he added.

Source: Bd news24