A severe heatwave in Bangladesh has led to the closure of primary schools this week and recurring power outages, worsening the living conditions for residents who are unable to use fans to cool themselves. Weather officials have warned that an improvement in the situation is not imminent. Maximum temperatures have risen to nearly 41 degrees Celsius, up from 32 degrees Celsius just ten days ago, and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has warned that there is no near end to the temperature rise.
The Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid, stated that "Bangladesh may face power outages for another two weeks, as fuel shortages have led to the closure of several power generation units, including the largest coal-fired plant." In a post on his official Facebook account on Monday, the minister expressed that "due to the global energy crisis and the unprecedented increase in international currency markets, we are facing this unwanted depletion of loads."
