The country’s power situation will return to normal once the ongoing gas shortage is resolved, said Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting.

He said the gas shortage is one of the major reasons behind the country’s current power crisis. If gas supply improves, the present level of load shedding is expected to ease, he added.

Dr Zahed made the remarks at a press conference on Tuesday organised to brief journalists on the progress of various government activities.

He said load shedding also occurred during the Awami League government, but Dhaka was largely spared from it. According to him, this was because people in Dhaka have a stronger “voice” and greater social capital.

“As the people of Dhaka did not experience load shedding, a particular perception developed among them,” he said.

Presenting comparative data on load shedding, Dr Zahed said 2023 was the last full year of Sheikh Hasina’s government. Comparing the average load shedding figures for June, July and August in 2023 and 2026, he said the amount of load shedding in June and July was lower in 2026 than in 2023.

He said average daily load shedding stood at 969 megawatts in June 2023, compared with 741 megawatts in June 2026.

Similarly, average load shedding was 613 megawatts in July 2023, while it stood at 460 megawatts in July 2026.

However, the situation in August was markedly different. Dr Zahed said average load shedding was 360 megawatts in August 2023, but increased sharply to 1,565 megawatts in August 2026.

“Everyone knows what crisis occurred in August,” he said, referring to the sharp increase in load shedding during the month. He reiterated that average load shedding in June and July 2026 was lower than in the corresponding months of 2023.

Regarding the current situation, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting said the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and the relevant ministers had indicated that the power situation would return to normal once the gas shortage was resolved.

“As a result, we hope the current crisis will not remain this severe,” he said.

Regarding load shedding in Dhaka, Dr Zahed said residents of the capital should also be prepared to tolerate some degree of disruption. However, he noted that Dhaka is the country’s largest city and the centre of major economic activities, so the capital may receive some priority in electricity supply.