The nightmare called load-shedding is back. With a mild heat wave sweeping the country, people, mainly in rural areas, are suffering due to frequent power cuts.

Apologising for public sufferings due to power disruption in different parts of the country over the past week, State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid expresses hope that power supply would be normal by Friday.

People of the country have been witnessing severe power cuts for the last couple of days because of a drop in oil-based power generation resulting from a shortage of fuel supply.

Even a couple of years ago, it was unimaginable to think of a sultry April day without power outages.

Power Development Board (PDB) says power supply now stands at a historic high. It is now supplying around 8300 megawatt of power—a sharp 800MW jump from last year’s corresponding period.

In the last six years, the Awami League government has made significant progress in the power sector virtually eliminating the phenomenon of load shedding. But this success may grind to a halt in the near future as the government's new plans to build two dozen large coal power plants are going nowhere fast.