Power cuts squeeze rural economy as outages disrupt farms, small industries

Highlights:

• Frequent power cuts damage Bangladesh's rural economy and livelihoods
• Southern Bangladesh faces severe electricity shortages and extended load-shedding
• Fisheries suffer as ice production slows during peak fishing season
• Poultry farms lose birds and productivity from heat stress
• Rural businesses face rising costs from diesel generator dependence
• Manufacturing industries report delays, reduced output, and financial losses

Frequent power cuts across Bangladesh are taking a growing toll on the rural economy, disrupting agricultural production, poultry farming, fisheries, small manufacturing and home-based businesses at the height of summer. 

While power supply has improved in some areas in recent days, rural communities across several districts continue to experience prolonged outages that are undermining productivity, raising operating costs and threatening livelihoods.

Businesses say recurring load-shedding is forcing them to rely on costly diesel generators, reducing output and, in some cases, causing direct financial losses.

Infograph: TBS

Southern region faces acute shortages

The country's southern region has been among the worst affected. In Barishal division, electricity demand averages around 590 megawatts across six districts, but daily supply stands at only about 440 megawatts, leaving a shortfall of nearly 150 megawatts, according to officials from the West Zone Power Distribution Company and the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board.

The deficit has resulted in daily load-shedding lasting between three and nine hours in urban areas, while rural consumers under the Palli Bidyut Samity report power cuts of four to five hours or more every day.

The shortages have severely affected the region's fisheries sector during the peak hilsa fishing season. Ice factories, which require uninterrupted electricity for 12 to 15 hours to produce a block of ice, are struggling to fulfil orders because repeated power interruptions prevent proper freezing. As a result, ice production is taking almost twice as long, while some factories are cancelling orders altogether.

"We are experiencing power cuts 3-4 times everyday, resulting in a 4-5-hours outage. This is taking a heavy toll on ice factories," said Manik Mia, a factory worker from Barishal's KDC area.

The disruption threatens the entire fishing supply chain, as adequate ice is essential for preserving fish caught at sea.

Home-based businesses are also suffering. Tailor Rizia Begum in Barishal says power outages force her to stop operating her sewing machine for hours each day, reducing her income. Freelance outsourcing professionals report losing working hours because of repeated interruptions to internet connectivity and computer use, while workshop owners say idle workers and delayed deliveries are increasing business losses.

Power distribution officials acknowledge that demand significantly exceeds available supply, forcing them to rotate load-shedding among consumers until electricity allocations improve.

Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board Supervising Engineer Shafiqul Islam in Barishal said, "The six rural electricity cooperatives in the division have a combined demand of around 486 megawatts, but we are receiving only 380 megawatts. We hope the problem will be resolved within the next few days."

Poultry farms struggle across the country

The poultry sector has emerged as another major casualty of frequent power cuts in rural areas.

In Joypurhat, where more than 650 layer farms produce around 31 crore eggs annually – far exceeding local demand – farmers say repeated power failures during extreme heat are increasing bird mortality and reducing egg production.

Farm owner Ahmed Rana said, "Electricity now goes out two or three times a day, leaving poultry vulnerable to heat stress. Areas with concentrated poultry production should receive priority electricity supply because even short interruptions can lead to significant losses."

Similar concerns have been raised in Tangail, where poultry farmers report losing birds almost daily due to excessive heat combined with prolonged outages.

Mamun Mia, who operates a farm with about 3,400 laying hens in Kalihati, said he spends hundreds of taka daily on diesel for generators. Even then, around 10 to 12 birds die each day from heat stress, resulting in losses of roughly Tk6,500-Tk7,000 daily.

Narayanganj poultry farmers reported losing hundreds of birds over recent weeks due to prolonged interruptions and high temperatures.

Coastal shrimp farming at risk

Power shortages are also impacting shrimp cultivation in the coastal districts of Khulna division.

Farmers in Paikgachha and Koyra warn that prolonged outages stop aerators from operating, reducing oxygen levels in ponds and increasing the risk of production losses.

The region has also witnessed repeated interruptions affecting shops, small industries and service businesses. 

Mizanur Rahman, assistant general manager of Southern Foods Ltd, said, "Running generators for just one hour consumes diesel costing nearly as much as an entire day's electricity bill under normal circumstances, sharply increasing production costs."

According to West Zone Power Distribution Company, however, the situation has improved over the past few days.

Rural businesses bear heavier burden

The experience in Narayanganj illustrates the widening disparity between urban industrial zones and surrounding rural areas.

Businesses in areas served by Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC), particularly major garment factories, report relatively stable electricity backed by generators and alternative energy systems.

However, rural areas served by the Palli Bidyut network – including Araihazar, Sonargaon, Bandar and Rupganj – continue to face extended load-shedding.

Restaurant owners say refrigerators cannot preserve food during six-hour outages, while bakeries struggle to operate efficiently. Officials from the local Palli Bidyut authority say they receive only around 175-180 megawatts against demand of 210 megawatts. They expect supply to improve after a new grid station becomes operational.

Light engineering and manufacturing hit

Frequent power interruptions are also disrupting light engineering industries outside major metropolitan centres.

In Syedpur, a major hub for light engineering and railway equipment manufacturing, factory owners say repeated outages force workers to remain idle while production schedules fall behind.

Owners of engineering workshops report that because many manufacturing processes cannot be interrupted midway, even short power failures significantly reduce productivity and increase operating costs.

In Gazipur, Bangladesh's largest industrial district, export-oriented garment manufacturers have warned that unreliable electricity is becoming a serious threat to production and export competitiveness.

Nasir Uddin, managing director of Sadma Group in Kaliakair and former vice-president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said the industry is now facing multiple challenges.

"International apparel orders are already declining for various reasons, and at such a time electricity tariffs have been increased. Yet despite the higher tariffs, the power supply situation has deteriorated further. With electricity unavailable for most of the day, we are being forced to keep our factories idle," he said.

Some districts report gradual improvement

Not every district continues to experience severe shortages.

In Savar, Palli Bidyut officials say supply has improved significantly since early July after an exceptionally difficult week during which some areas experienced eight to 10 hours of daily load-shedding. Recent supply has approached full demand, although officials caution that demand has also fallen slightly during the holiday period.

Naogaon's rice mill owners similarly report that current outages remain manageable because wholesale demand for rice is relatively low. However, they warn that increased market demand could expose vulnerabilities if electricity shortages persist.

Lakshmipur has also experienced noticeable improvement after severe outages during May and much of June. Palli Bidyut officials say district-wide load-shedding has largely disappeared over the past several days, although residents in some rural areas continue to report outages lasting four to five hours daily. Consumers have nevertheless expressed frustration over significantly higher electricity bills.

Our correspondents Syed Mehedi Hasan (Barishal), Khorshed Alam (Bogura), Sabit Al Hasan (Narayanganj), Noman Mahmud (Savar), Mohammad Asaduzzaman Saad (Gazipur), Awal Sheikh (Khulna), Debasish Debu (Sylhet), Jafar Ahmed (Tangail), and Sana Ullah Sanu (Laxmipur) contributed to this report.