Load shedding schedule for Chattogram to be released on Tuesday

Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), Chattogram Southern Region will release a detailed schedule regarding load shedding in Chattogram and surrounding areas on Tuesday.

"Detailed load shedding schedule here will be released tomorrow. However, power rationing will start from Monday midnight on a trial basis," Rezaul Karim, chief engineer of BPDB, Chattogram, told The Business Standard on Monday.

Rezaul Karim, the chief engineer of BPDB Chattogram southern region, said, "We started working on making a load shedding schedule immediately after receiving the government instructions. However, we hope to finish the detailed load shedding schedule by Tuesday afternoon."

He said there is some problem in making a list of 450 feeder stations in the area as to which will be closed at what time.  All the feeders of a substation will not be shut down at once, instead, three feeders will be on blackout for one hour by rotation.

The government decided to introduce area-wise load shedding from Tuesday for one hour between 5pm and 11pm daily during the next one week in every area across the country.

Apart from this, it also took several other decisions, including suspension of diesel-based power generation and stopping the usage of Air Conditioners in mosques and other religious places.

Following the decisions taken in a meeting at the Prime Minister's office on Monday, the Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) released a detailed schedule about when load shedding will occur in the capital and surrounding areas.

Apart from the scheduled load-shedding to solve the power crisis, other decisions that have been taken include—the suspension of operation of Diesel-based power plants; closure of Shopping malls by 8pm; prohibition on AC use for mosques; closure of Petrol pumps one day a week; holding Government office meetings virtually.

Apart from this, the government is planning to reduce office time by two hours to save electricity.