In Kaptai upazila of Rangamati district, residents are facing 12 to 14 hours of daily load shedding, severely affecting daily life and ongoing SSC examinations. Students reported that frequent power outages during study hours, both day and night, make it difficult to concentrate due to extreme heat. Parents expressed deep concern, urging authorities to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply until the exams end. The outages have also disrupted operations in educational institutions, factories, banks, insurance offices, businesses, and hospitals, with some factory owners reporting order cancellations due to missed delivery deadlines.
The Kaptai Karnafuli Hydroelectric Power Station, which normally produces 230 megawatts for the national grid, is currently generating only 30 to 40 megawatts because of low water levels. As a result, even the area producing electricity is suffering long power cuts. Acting residential engineer Ashraful Islam acknowledged the load shedding, explaining that one of two supply lines is alternately shut down. He assured that the problem would not persist long and that examinees would not face major disruptions.
The situation highlights the irony of power shortages in a region that contributes electricity to the national grid.