Business Desk : dhakamirror.com
To lessen the frequency and duration of power outages in the midst of an ongoing energy crisis, the Bangladeshi government has established staggered weekly holidays for industrial hubs.
A notification establishing the area-wise weekly off was published by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Invoking the Labour Act, the department claimed that several weekly holidays were set “in the public interest” to maintain a constant supply of electricity in the industrial zones across the country.
In order to save electricity and maintain production in factories and mills, the government decided to apply the zone-wise weekend of industry, said Nasrul Hamid, the State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources on August 7.
If industries adhere to the weekly off schedule, the government anticipates saving 500 megawatts of electricity.
The move comes after the government suspended importing costlier liquefied natural gas from the international spot market in June and began an area-wise load-shedding from the first week last month.
The Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s president, Md. Saiful Islam, welcomed the weekly closure on a regional basis yesterday.
“But the weekend is linked to the families of workers. It would be a comprehensive decision if schools and other educational institutes remain shut on the day. Otherwise, workers would be separated from their families.”
Shopping malls and markets, however, should remain open on the day, the entrepreneur added.
