Electricity shortages are rising alongside the heat. Demand for power has exceeded 16,000 megawatts, yet generation remains between 13,000 and 14,000 megawatts. To bridge the gap, regular load-shedding is being carried out—almost entirely imposed on rural populations. Dhaka city, by contrast, is being deliberately kept largely free of outages.

Stakeholders in the power sector say that for several years, routine load-shedding has occurred during the summer season. To manage deficits, supply is first reduced in rural areas. Only when the shortfall widens further is limited load-shedding introduced in urban areas—and even then, it remains far lower than in the countryside.

The main authority for electricity generation and supply in the country is the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB). Under its direction, power is transmitted by Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), while six distribution companies deliver electricity to consumers, the largest being the Rural Electrification Board (REB).