Staff Correspondent

Utility agencies are set to launch a drive Sunday to ensure that shops are closed at 8.00pm in the city, now reeling under acute power outages, a senior government official said.

"Those who keep shops open past 8:00pm have to lower shutters. We will not cut off power connections in the initial stage. Power connections will be disconnected if they do not listen to our advice and continue to keep their shops open beyond the cut-off time," power secretary M Fouzul Kabir Khan told bdnews24.com.

He said the decision had been taken in discussion with the leaders of Shop Owners' Association. A senior official of the Power Division said a probe found that many shops remained open after 8.00pm in violation of rules.

Shop owners' defiance prompted the Power Division to ask DESA, DESCO and the Rural Electrification Board to launch the drive.

The official said that 150 megawatts power could be saved a day if shops were closed after 8.00pm. The control room of the Power Development Board said demand for electricity in the country was 4650 megawatts Sunday and projected production was 3601 megawatts.

Load-shedding was 811 megawatts on Saturday and 736 megawatts on Friday. Acute power outages disrupted the normal life of people in the city and elsewhere.