Bangladesh government faces youth job protests amid energy crisis and price hikes

Six months after Tariq Rahman assumed office as Bangladesh’s prime minister, the country is confronting a sharp energy shortfall accompanied by a noticeable rise in consumer prices. The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources reported that national electricity generation fell 8 percent below projected levels in the first half of the fiscal year, prompting rolling blackouts in major urban centers and disrupting industrial output.

In response, the Rahman administration has accelerated negotiations for additional liquefied natural gas shipments, approved a temporary surcharge on electricity bills, and sought a $1.2 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank to fund renewable‑energy projects. Inflation data released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics showed a 6.4 percent year‑on‑year increase in the consumer price index, driven largely by higher costs for fuel, food and transport. Analysts note that the combined pressure of power constraints and price hikes could strain household budgets and slow economic growth, while the government’s fiscal measures aim to stabilize supply and curb inflation in the coming months.