The ongoing gas and electricity crisis is expected to ease from Tuesday night, with supplies to industries returning to pre-August levels, said Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Administrator Fazlul Hoque.

He made the remarks after a meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and business leaders at the Secretariat on Monday.
Fazlul Hoque said the prime minister assured business leaders that gas and electricity supplies to industries would be restored to their previous levels.

Representatives of 21 business organisations, including BGMEA, Metropolitan Chamber, ICCB, Dhaka Chamber, BTMA and BKMEA, attended the nearly three-hour meeting.

“The prime minister said that from Tuesday night, we will be able to return to the previous level of gas and electricity supply, before the latest crisis emerged. This is the biggest takeaway and relief from Monday’s meeting,” Fazlul Hoque said.

Asked what he meant by the “previous level”, he said it referred to the situation before the crisis intensified in August.
He said the energy crisis was affecting not only businesses but people across all sections of society.

Earlier, Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin briefed journalists on the meeting, saying discussions focused on issues crucial to employment, industrialisation, electricity, gas, energy and mineral resources.

He said work had begun on several long-term plans, including the construction of five terminals, to address the power crisis.
“It is not possible to resolve the 16 years of accumulated crisis overnight,” Mahdi said.

He said the government was working towards an integrated, production-oriented energy system based on gas, electricity and coal, while giving priority to solar power.

“In the coming days, our power sector will become more diversified, and we will achieve self-sufficiency in energy resources,” he added.