(Photo: ANI)
In reaction to the current energy crisis, which has been made worse by the conflict in West Asia, the Bangladeshi government announced a number of austerity measures, including cutting back on government spending in a number of areas, shutting stores earlier, and shortening office hours. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman presided over a cabinet meeting on Thursday when authorities approved measures to reduce non essential spending and energy consumption.
The Bangladeshi Government and private offices will now operate from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, while banks will allow transactions until 3:00 PM and close fully by 4:00 PM. Shops and shopping malls are required to shut by 6:00 PM, though outlets selling essentials, eateries, and pharmacies will remain open. Decorative lighting for weddings or other celebrations has been prohibited. The government also decided to cut expenditure on hospitality at meetings and seminars by 50 per cent, reduce domestic training programmes by half, and limit non-essential travel by 30 per cent. In a move to promote greener alternatives, government schools will be allowed to import electric buses duty-free, while commercial electric buses will face only a 20 per cent import duty.
Officials stressed that these measures are temporary and necessary to alleviate the impact of the global energy crisis on Bangladesh’s economy and public services. Earlier on Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs said that it has received a request from Bangladesh for the supply of diesel, which is currently being examined by the government amid the fuel crisis in several countries across the world due to the West Asia conflict. Other countries from the neighbourhood, including the Maldives and Sri Lanka, have also approached India.
During a weekly press briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiwal, speaking on India’s energy assistance to countries in the neighbourhood, said, “India is a major exporter of refined petroleum products, especially to our neighbourhood. We have received a request from the government of Bangladesh for the supply of diesel, which is being examined.” Underlining the people-centric and development-oriented approach to relations with Bangladesh, Jaiswal recalled how India has been supplying diesel from the Numaligarh refinery to Bangladesh since 2017 through various modes, which include waterways, rail and later through the India-Bangladesh friendship pipeline.
“In October 2017, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation and Numaligarh Refinery signed a sale-purchase agreement for the mutually agreed-upon supply of high-speed diesel. Although diesel exports to Bangladesh have mostly persisted since 2017, India’s refining capacity, our own needs, and diesel availability would be taken into consideration when making judgements, he stated. “We have received requests from several other countries, including Sri Lanka and Maldives and these are being taken to be examined, taking into account our own energy requirements and availability that we have,” the MEA Spokesperson further noted.
(With Inputs From ANI)
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