Bangladesh shuts universities early to save power as the energy crisis worsens, with authorities bringing forward Eid ul Fitr holidays to reduce electricity use.
Authorities announced that all public and private universities across the country will remain closed from Monday. Officials said the decision was taken as an emergency step to conserve electricity and fuel while the country faces rising energy pressure.
According to officials, universities consume large amounts of electricity for hostels, classrooms, laboratories and air-conditioning systems. By shutting campuses early, the government expects a significant drop in electricity consumption.
Officials also believe the step will help reduce traffic on busy city roads. Lower traffic means less fuel consumption, which is important at a time when the country is struggling to manage limited fuel supplies.
Most schools in Bangladesh are already closed during the holy month of ramazan. With universities now also shut, nearly all educational institutions in the country will remain closed during this period.
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The government took the decision as uncertainty grows over global fuel and gas supplies due to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Bangladesh heavily depends on imports and gets about 95% of its energy from foreign sources.
Because of fears of shortages, the authorities recently introduced daily limits on fuel sales after people started panic buying and stockpiling petrol and diesel.
As part of wider austerity measures, the government has also instructed foreign-curriculum schools and private coaching centres to suspend their activities temporarily to save electricity.
At the same time, severe gas shortages have forced the country to shut down four out of its five government-run fertiliser factories. The limited gas supply is now being redirected to power plants to avoid major electricity outages.
Bangladesh has also started purchasing liquefied natural gas from the international spot market, even though prices have increased sharply, in order to fill the supply gap.
"We are doing everything we can to reduce consumption and ensure stability in power, fuel and import supplies," a senior energy ministry official said.
The move shows how serious the energy crisis has become for Bangladesh. Closing universities is an unusual step, but it quickly cuts electricity demand. The government appears to be trying every option to avoid large power outages. If global fuel supplies remain unstable, more strict measures could follow.
