STORY: Bangladesh hit by longest heatwave in decades amid electricity crisis
DATELINE: June 21, 2023
LENGTH: 0:02:28
LOCATION: Dhaka
CATEGORY: SOCIETY/ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Dhaka under heatwaves
2. SOUNDBITE (English): AHMAD KAMRUZZAMAN MAJUMDER, Department of Environmental Science, Stamford University Bangladesh

STORYLINE:

Accompanied by high humidity levels, power-starved Bangladesh has been experiencing brutal heatwaves since the country's independence in 1971.

Md Bazlur Rashid, a meteorologist at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), termed this year's weather pattern extremely unusual, saying the country has not seen such prolonged heatwaves in at least the last 50 years.
   
The meteorologist said the heatwaves would escalate next year due to erratic rainfall and high temperatures, posing a threat to Bangladesh, one of the worst victims of global warming.
   
As people reel from the country's longest heatwaves in decades, a crippling power crisis has added to the misery of the Bangladeshis in recent months. People across the country suffer immensely as power cuts are more frequent.
   
In Dhaka, there are reportedly outages of at least four to five hours on average and over eight to ten hours in rural areas.
   
Failing to cope with the unbearable heat and load shedding, the Bangladeshi government earlier this month was forced to shut down educational institutions across the country for days.
   
SOUNDBITE (English): AHMAD KAMRUZZAMAN MAJUMDER, Department of Environmental Science, Stamford University Bangladesh
"The reason behind these increasing temperatures we identify is the decreasing the vegetation, the decreasing water bodies and increasing number of built-up area and increasing number of vehicles on the street. Brickfields and other industries around the Dhaka city, these are the factors that are actually controlling the increasing trend of temperature. If we manage to control these temperature increasing factors, then we could actually bring down the temperature in a tolerance level. Otherwise, in the coming days or coming years, the temperature will go more up. People will buy more air conditions who can afford it. But at the same time, the low income group people will be suffering more."

The ongoing heatwave substantially increased the demand for electricity. The country is currently facing a load shedding of around 2,500 MW.
   
A Power Ministry official said at least 53 of the country's 153 power plants have been shut in recent months for maintenance or due to a fuel shortage amid a dollar crisis.
   
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has recently urged the people of Bangladesh to be frugal in using electricity and all other things.
   
As the electricity shortage has reached an intolerable level, Hasina said that measures were taken to resume production at some power plants that suspended operation due to a lack of coal and gas.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Dhaka.
(XHTV)