Scheduled maintenance triggers temporary power outages in parts of Dhaka, rural areas
BPDB says the outage is due to transmission maintenance in specific areas and not due to load shedding
People in several parts of Dhaka and some rural areas have been experiencing sudden electricity interruptions over the past few days due to annual scheduled maintenance of transmission lines by Power Grid Bangladesh PLC (PGCB), officials said.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has said that the outages are not due to load shedding, adding that the country currently has adequate power generation capacity.
According to the authorities, electricity supply is being suspended for two to three hours in specific areas where transmission maintenance is underway.
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Residents say the unannounced disruptions have caused inconvenience. A resident of Sector-5 in Dhaka's Uttara area told The Business Standard that his locality faced electricity interruptions over two consecutive days last week.
"The power cuts did not create major problems because the weather is relatively mild now. But it would have been easier if there had been prior notice," he said.
BPDB officials maintain that the situation is under control. Md Zahurul Islam, Member (Production) of BPDB, explained that such maintenance work is deliberately scheduled during the winter season. "Maintenance activities are generally carried out in winter, considering the lower electricity demand. This allows us to carry out necessary work without causing major supply interruptions," Zahurul said.
Data from Power Grid Bangladesh and BPDB also support the claim of adequate power availability. On Tuesday (23 December), nationwide electricity supply stood at 10,356 megawatts (MW) at 1pm, compared to 7,885MW at 6am, reflecting the daily demand pattern. On 22 December, power demand across the country was recorded at 9,582MW at 11am, according to Power Grid Bangladesh data.
Meanwhile, generation figures show that the country continues to maintain a comfortable supply margin. Power generation reached 10,471MW on 21 December at 9am, exceeding the recorded demand for the period.
Energy sector experts note that while scheduled maintenance is a routine and necessary process, better coordination and public communication could reduce public confusion.
Advance notifications, particularly in urban and commercial areas, could help households and businesses plan around temporary disruptions.
As winter demand remains relatively low, authorities expect maintenance work to continue over the coming weeks, with minimal impact on overall electricity supply.
