Bangladesh Orders Civil Servants to Save Power Amid Middle East War Crisis

Bangladesh’s civil servants have been instructed to switch off non-essential lights and turn down air conditioning as the Middle East conflict intensifies an energy crunch across Asia, according to officials on Monday.

The South Asian nation of 170 million people relies heavily on oil and gas imports for its needs, with 95% coming from abroad.

Ministry of Public Administration issued directives related to office attendance and electricity and fuel conservation, ministry official Sakhawat Hossain told AFP on Monday.

The order specifies that only necessary lights, fans, air conditioners, and other electrical equipment should be used, along with reminders for workers to switch off lights when leaving and set air conditioning temperatures at 25 degrees Celsius or warmer.

Bangladesh is seeking loans of around $2 billion from multilateral donors to address energy concerns.