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

Bangladesh cuts office hours and bans wedding lights to conserve energy amid global price hikes and supply concerns.

Bangladesh cut office and shop hours and banned decorative lighting at weddings starting on Friday (April 4, 2026) as it seeks to conserve energy stocks after global price hikes due to the West Asia war.

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

About 60% 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 from Friday (April 3, 2026) 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 a.m. to 3 p.m.," top government secretary Nasimul Gani told reporters at a news briefing late Thursday (April 2).