Bangladesh cuts office hours, turns off wedding lights to save energy

Dhaka: Bangladesh cut office, shop hours and banned decorative lighting at weddings starting on Friday as it seeks to conserve energy stocks after glo...

Dhaka: Bangladesh cut office, shop hours and banned decorative lighting at weddings starting on Friday as it seeks to conserve energy stocks after global price hikes due to the Middle East war.

Bangladesh imports 95 percent of its oil and gas needs, mostly from the Middle East and said that, while there are adequate stocks of petrol and diesel, it hopes to mitigate the effects of "unsecured" supply lines.

About 60 percent of its electricity is generated using imported gas, while diesel is primarily used for farming in the region.

Dhaka ordered all government, private offices and banks to shut an hour earlier each day starting Friday until further notice.

"The fuel supply line is unsecured... both government and private offices will run from 9 AM to 4 PM, while banks will remain open from 9 AM to 3 PM," top government secretary Nasimul Gani told reporters at a news briefing late Thursday.