THE uncontrolled and unplanned increase of five to six million battery-operated rickshaws, combined with the excessive use of electric stoves in households, has placed the nation’s power supply system under serious risk.
According to a newspaper report published on Wednesday, the peak electricity demand once occurred during the day, but it reaches its pinnacle around midnight.
An additional 2,000 to 3,000 megawatts of electricity are consumed at midnight solely for charging battery-operated rickshaws, depriving the country of the intended benefits of the ‘off-peak’ period.
To meet this unusual nighttime demand for electricity, the government is compelled to keep power plants that run on high-cost liquid fuel in operation.
Generating electricity at a cost exceeding 25 taka per unit is placing a massive financial burden on the state.
Due to a persistent gas shortage in households and the high price of LPG cylinders, 3 to 3.5 million families have been compelled to switch to electric stoves.
This has created an additional demand for approximately 500 megawatts of electricity daily.
According to data from the Power Development Board (PDB), while the terms “peak” and “off-peak” are used on paper, they have no practical relevance in reality.
This situation highlights both the shortcomings in the proper management of the power sector and a persistent indifference toward adopting sustainable, alternative technologies.
It is undeniable that battery-operated rickshaws have become a primary means of transport and a vital source of livelihood for millions of people across the country.
Therefore, while an abrupt, overnight ban would be unrealistic, allowing them to continue operating in an unplanned and unregulated manner would be profoundly self-destructive.
To transform this challenge in the power sector into an opportunity, the government must immediately adopt a special plan.
First, it should ensure the formal registration of rickshaws and provide incentives or low-interest loans to drivers and garage owners to facilitate the transition from lead-acid batteries to lithium-ion batteries.
Second, it is necessary to encourage the installation of solar power panels at garages and strengthen smart grid connections for use during off-peak hours.
Currently, about 95 percent of the country’s rickshaws rely on outdated ‘lead-acid’ batteries, which are slow and highly inefficient in terms of energy consumption.
Experts have pointed out that replacing these with modern, long-lasting ‘lithium-ion’ batteries could lead to a significant and immediate reduction in electricity consumption.
Taking effective measures to resolve the gas shortage in households would reduce the strain on electric stoves.
If this crisis is not addressed through a combination of sound policies and modern technology, the pressure on the country’s power sector and economy will continue to mount, a scenario that is highly undesirable.