Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (July 6) said her government is compelled to limit electricity production and carry out load shedding as the fuel prices are continuously increasing globally.
She also urged the countrymen to comply with the situation.
She said: "We have reached electricity to every house. But, now, we are compelled to execute load shedding and limit electricity generation as we couldn't give (any more) subsidy in the power."
The premier made the plea while inaugurating the country's first university campus-based IT business incubator at the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) named Sheikh Kamal IT Business Incubator (SKIBI).
She virtually joined the programme held at CUET campus from her official Ganabhaban residence here while she also opened Sheikh Jamal Dormitory and Rosy Jamal Dormitory.
State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak, MP, gave the address of welcome while its Senior Secretary NM Zeaul Alam moderated the function.
Sheikh Hasina said she asked authorities concerned to prepare a routine to accomplish area-wise specific time based load shedding across the country, urging the countrymen to save power in line with their best ability.
"Prepare a routine on how long load shedding will be executed in which area so the people can prepare themselves for that and their suffering can decrease this way," she said.
The PM hoped that the countrymen would help the government in this regard realising the fact that the prices of everything including food, transportation, fertiliser, oil, LNG and diesel increased globally for Russia-Ukraine war and the situation is worsening as America-Europe imposed sanctions on Russia.
She also said the situation impacted on the whole world even on Bangladesh. But, the country is forwarding facing all these problems, she added.
The prime minister noted that her government is currently giving a total subsidy of Tk 28000 crore to the power sector.
"We have to provide a subsidy of Tk 25000 crore for LNG import to meet the demand of gas for making the power plants operational....We've to give a subsidy of TK 84,000cr every year and allocation for the subsidy have also been made in the current budget," she said.
"If we don't reduce the subsidy, then, from where the government will get the money," the Prime Minister asked.
BDST: 1507 HRS, JULY 6, 2022
MSK/SMS
