Gazipur is facing an increasingly severe power crisis as load shedding intensifies across the industrial district, with outages now stretching up to 8-10 hours a day in many areas. The prolonged electricity cuts have widened the gap between demand and supply, severely affecting both daily life and industrial production.
Residents said areas that earlier experienced around seven hours of load shedding are now enduring significantly longer interruptions. The situation has created an acute water shortage, disrupting essential household activities such as bathing, cooking, and cleaning, as water pumps remain non-functional during outages.
The impact is equally serious in Gazipur’s industrial zones, particularly in the readymade garments sector. Factory operations have slowed sharply as frequent power cuts repeatedly halt machinery. Although some factories are attempting to maintain production using diesel generators, rising fuel costs and limited availability have made this option increasingly unsustainable.
Md Yusuf Ali, general manager of Gazipur Palli Bidyut Samity-1, said that electricity demand in the area stands at 554 megawatts, while supply is only around 313 megawatts. He added that the situation is expected to improve by 2 May, though uncertainty remains.
Industrial operators have expressed growing concern. Md Khalid Hossain, managing director of Euro Washing Limited, said production schedules have been severely disrupted, with outages now lasting up to 10 hours. He noted that many factories are being forced to shut down operations earlier than usual, with production beyond 5pm becoming increasingly difficult.
He also pointed to external challenges, including global instability, which has reduced foreign buyers’ interest in visiting Bangladesh and weakened export order responses, adding further pressure on the sector.
The situation was further aggravated by recent nor’wester storms that damaged power infrastructure in Sreepur and Mawna areas under Mymensingh Palli Bidyut Samity-2. Fallen trees caused damage to power lines, leading to widespread outages.
Officials said seven transformers were damaged in the storm, resulting in nearly 24 hours of power disruption in some areas. However, repair work has been completed in most locations, and electricity supply has largely been restored.
Meanwhile, residents in several areas, including Dakshin Dhanua New Market and the DBL Garments vicinity, reported long queues for water. With tube wells dependent on electricity, prolonged outages have further deepened the water crisis in affected communities.
