Residents Protest After Enduring 18-Hour Daily Power Cuts

Residents of Mirzapur Upazila in Bangladesh’s Tangail district have staged demonstrations and blocked the Dhaka–Tangail–Jamuna Bridge Highway after enduring severe electricity shortages for nearly two months, with many claiming they have been without power for up to 16 to 18 hours a day.

The prolonged load-shedding, which has coincided with intense summer heat, has severely disrupted daily life across the upazila. Local people say the situation is even worse in rural areas, where lengthy power outages have made it difficult for families to carry out routine activities and have placed students preparing for examinations under immense pressure.

On Sunday (28 June), hundreds of residents, electricity consumers and students from Jamurki, Mahera, Banail and Anaitara unions, along with neighbouring Delduar and Basail upazilas, gathered in the Jamurki area to demand an uninterrupted electricity supply. Protesters blocked the Dhaka–Tangail–Jamuna Bridge Highway from around 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., bringing traffic to a standstill and causing long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road. Travellers were left stranded as the disruption continued for about an hour.

The demonstrators also surrounded the Jamurki Rural Electrification substation and office, with some attempting to vandalise the premises. Police later arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control. Local BNP leaders were also seen speaking with protesters in an effort to calm tensions. After receiving assurances that the authorities would address the electricity crisis, the protesters withdrew the blockade following nearly two hours of negotiations.

Residents say the persistent outages are affecting every aspect of life. Around 10,000 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) candidates are struggling to prepare for their examinations, while approximately 40,000 secondary school students are due to begin half-yearly examinations on 1 July. Teachers fear many students have been unable to study properly because of the combination of prolonged power cuts and extreme heat. Another 43,000 primary school pupils are also experiencing similar difficulties.

The impact extends beyond education. Local people have complained that factories and mills in Mirzapur’s industrial areas, particularly around Gorai, are facing serious production disruptions due to the unreliable electricity supply, affecting business operations and productivity.

D.A. Motin, Chairman of Jamurki Union Parishad and General Secretary of the local BNP unit, said residents had resorted to blocking the highway after enduring power cuts lasting between 16 and 18 hours a day. He added that discussions with the demonstrators helped persuade them to end the protest peacefully.

Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Mirzapur Police Station confirmed that police responded immediately after receiving reports of the highway blockade and restored order. He said the situation is now under control.

Leaders of the Mirzapur Upazila Secondary Teachers’ Association, including President Md. Atikur Rahman and Headteacher Md. Mostafizur Rahman, urged the authorities to ensure an adequate electricity supply before examinations begin. They warned that thousands of students are being deprived of a proper study environment at a crucial time in the academic calendar.

Officials from the Mirzapur Rural Electrification Department acknowledged the crisis, explaining that the load-shedding is the result of insufficient electricity being supplied from the national grid. According to the Tangail District Rural Electrification Board, Mirzapur’s two zonal offices together serve approximately 180,000 customers. However, electricity received from the Mymensingh Zone remains well below demand, forcing authorities to impose extended power cuts across the area. Officials added that the matter has already been reported to higher authorities, particularly as Mirzapur’s industrial belt requires a substantial and stable electricity supply.