Power supply capacity must be increased

Electricity drives civilisation's development. To Bangladesh's credit, it has brought 100 per cent people under the electricity coverage. However, demand for electricity continues to rise while supply lags, resulting in load-shedding in different areas.

Currently, the country's power generation capacity stands at 30,738 MW, yet actual production is only 14,000 MW. This excess capacity of 46.4 per cent forces power plants to demand capacity charges, costing the government billions of dollars annually.

The current budget proposal has fallen short of ensuring sustainable energy solutions. Development efforts in the power sector must prioritise increasing supply capacity by addressing issues such as illegal connections, corruption and system losses. Effective measures are needed to recover outstanding electricity bills, and administrative actions should be taken to assist customers who have reported irregularities like ghost bills due to inaccurate meter readings.

Md. Syful Mia

Student

Islamic History and Culture

University of Chittagong

Email: [email protected]