Power generation at the 525-megawatt Barapukuria coal-based thermal power plant in Parbatipur, Dinajpur, has been completely shut down due to mechanical failures. The shutdown has caused load-shedding across Dinajpur and nearby areas. The plant’s first unit, with a capacity of 125 megawatts, stopped production on Sunday morning after its boiler tube burst. The chief engineer, Md. Abu Bakar Siddique, said repairs would begin once the boiler cools, but it is uncertain when production will resume.

The plant’s second unit, also 125 megawatts, has been inactive since November 2020, while the third unit, with 275 megawatts capacity, has been offline since November last year due to mechanical issues. The Barapukuria plant, operated by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), relies on coal from the Barapukuria mine. The third unit, managed by Chinese contractor Harbin International, awaits spare parts from China for repair. The engineer expects it may return to production by March, though delays persist as the contractor cites increased equipment costs.

The prolonged outage underscores the aging condition of the plant’s infrastructure and its dependence on foreign parts for maintenance.