Technical Fault Hits Dhaka–Chittagong Power Grid, Supply Restored in Most Areas
Power supply was disrupted in several areas of Dhaka and Chittagong after a technical fault caused a breakdown in the country’s eastern power grid. Electricity has now been restored in most affected areas, while engineers are working to resume normal supply in the remaining areas.
Officials from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Power Grid Bangladesh PLC told the Daily Inqilab that a technical fault may have caused the disruption. They said detailed information would be provided later.
The disruption occurred at around 12:43pm on Tuesday, cutting power to several areas of the capital. According to Power Grid Bangladesh PLC, electricity supply was interrupted in eastern Dhaka areas, including Bhulta, Haripur, Siddhirganj, Gulshan, Rampura, Ullon, Jatrabari, Raerbagh, Shonir Akhra and Motijheel. Supply was also disrupted in Moghbazar, Banasree and Khilgaon. Parts of Chittagong faced a similar situation.
The outage disrupted operations at important establishments, including the Secretariat, Bangladesh Bank and the International Crimes Tribunal. Proceedings at International Crimes Tribunal-2 were also suspended because of the power failure. After waiting for about half an hour without the restoration of electricity, the tribunal decided to adjourn proceedings for the day.
Power Grid Bangladesh said engineers were working in phases to restore grid operations and normal electricity supply. The national grid was being operated under the supervision of the National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC). Electricity supply remained operational in many areas, including the northern region.
The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources said electricity had been restored in most affected areas and efforts were continuing to resume normal supply elsewhere. The ministry apologised to consumers for the temporary inconvenience.
According to the Bangladesh Power Development Board, electricity demand stood at 14,601 megawatts at around 11:00am on Tuesday, while generation was 14,303 megawatts. This represented a shortfall of 298 megawatts. However, it has not been confirmed whether the generation shortfall was linked to the grid failure.
Authorities have yet to provide a detailed explanation of the exact cause of the disruption or where it originated. Earlier, on October 4, 2022, a breakdown in the eastern grid left a large part of the country, including Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Mymensingh, without electricity.
