Five-hour blackout paralyse key Dhaka neighbourhoods, leaving thousands stranded

A massive five-hour power outage plunged several prominent areas of the capital, including Moghbazar, Banglamotor, Kawran Bazar, and Hatirpool, into complete chaos on Saturday. The unexpected blackout, which began in the afternoon, brought daily life to a standstill, leaving residents, businesses, and commuters facing severe difficulties. According to initial reports from utility providers, a critical technical glitch in the main power transmission network triggered the widespread failure.

The prolonged disruption happened during a period of intense summer heat, compounding the misery for local inhabitants. High-rise residential buildings were particularly affected as water pumps stopped working, causing an acute water shortage within hours. Without functioning lifts, elderly residents and individuals with medical conditions found themselves trapped on upper floors. Families scrambled to find bottled water as taps ran dry across multiple neighbourhoods.

The economic toll on local businesses was immediate and severe. Kawran Bazar, one of Dhaka’s busiest commercial hubs, saw its shopping centres, retail outlets, and restaurants cast into darkness. While some larger establishments relied on standby generators, many ran out of fuel or overheated due to continuous operation over several hours. Small traders and food vendors without backup power faced significant losses as perishable items began to spoil, resulting in a sharp decline in daily sales.

The technological ripple effect of the blackout further crippled the affected zones. Mobile phone networks deteriorated rapidly as local cellular towers lost battery backup, causing dropped calls and disrupted internet connectivity. Corporate offices and freelance professionals reported total disruptions to their digital workflows. Online banking services and point-of-sale terminals in retail shops also failed, bringing financial transactions to a temporary halt.

On the streets, the outage caused immediate gridlock. Automated traffic signals at major intersections, including the Moghbazar and Banglamotor crossings, went completely dark. Traffic police officers had to manage the surging weekend traffic manually, a task made increasingly difficult by the sweltering conditions. Tailbacks quickly stretched for kilometres, trapping buses, ambulances, and private vehicles in suffocating heat.

Engineers from the power distribution companies were deployed immediately to rectify the technical fault. Officials stated that due to the complexity of the transmission failure, repairs took longer than initially anticipated. Power was eventually restored in phases across the affected sectors late in the evening. Following the incident, frustrated local residents and business owners urged the government to modernise the city’s ageing electrical infrastructure and establish reliable backup systems to prevent such prolonged disruptions in the future.