Dhaka Students Protest Severe Power And Gas Shortages With Cooking Pots

Dhaka University students took to the streets on Monday afternoon, carrying traditional kerosene lamps and cooking pots to protest against worsening power outages, gas shortages, and inflated electricity bills across Bangladesh.

The demonstration, organized by the student organization Jatiyo Chhatra Shakti, took place at the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus on Monday, 3 August. Protesters gathered to express outrage over severe utility disruptions that have left many regions enduring between eight to twelve hours of power cuts daily, alongside acute domestic gas shortages that leave household stoves unlit.

Addressing the rally, student speakers highlighted the compounding burden on citizens, noting that daily living conditions are deteriorating rapidly. Demonstrators expressed particular anger over electricity charges for June and July, claiming that monthly bills had doubled or tripled despite prolonged power cuts. Protesters argued that such steep increases were mathematically inexplicable given the lack of consistent power supply.

The demonstration also focused on gas distribution issues affecting both residential areas and refueling stations. Speakers pointed out that compressed natural gas (CNG) stations are facing severe supply shortfalls, creating long queues for transport operators, while rumors circulate regarding further tariff hikes. They criticized authorities for failing to address structural supply deficits while shifting the financial burden onto consumers through soaring tariffs and inflated billing.

Beyond utility crisis points, the rally addressed broader economic pressures, including the rising prices of essential commodities. Speakers recalled previous political commitments promising stable market prices, restored public rights, and reliable public services, contrasting those assurances with current daily realities where households face two hours of darkness for every hour of electricity received.

The protesters called on the government to take immediate, concrete measures to stabilize the national grid, resolve gas supply bottlenecks, and correct irregular electricity billing before public frustration escalates further.