Staff Reporter

Dispelling confusion among investors and workers, Power Division Secretary Md Habibur Rahman said mills and industries will be closed once a week as per schedule to be made based on area.

In order to save electricity, the government has been scheduling area-wise load shedding across the country since July 19. In order to avoid a negative impact on the economy, priority is being given to maintaining normal power supply in industries. As a part of this, the power department has given its opinion in favor of declaring a weekly holiday by rostering all production-oriented industries.

Weekends or closures will be held on different days of the week. The pressure on the power supply will be reduced if the weekends are adjusted in the industries, the power secretary said this while talking to media on Monday (August 8).

He said that no factory has been asked to be completely closed. Factories have one day off in a week. Now the holiday will not be only on Friday. This leave will be shared on other days of the week, Habibur Rahman said.

Instead of a certain day off (Friday), the factories of each region will be closed or open on each day of the week, he added.

“Such practice will reduce the pressure on the electricity supply and the factories will be able to maintain the weekend and keep the production running. This is how the weekend will be coordinated in the factories, so that every factory can be ensured to stop using state electricity for one day,” he further said.

In another question, the power secretary said that if a factory is kept operational through overtime, they can do that too. And the factories that are open seven days a week and give scheduled holidays to the workers, they also have a specific day on which most of the workers spend their holidays. On that particular day, the factory can be kept operational through captive power generation (own power generation with large generators).

He said, business leaders were present in the meeting with the Minister of State for Power and Energy, they did not raise any objection regarding opening and closing of factories on a weekly schedule.

He also said that we will coordinate the weekend by talking to the organisations that are involved in food production.

When asked about when the new schedule of weekly holidays will start in industries, the power secretary said, "We will start sending letters today (Monday). It will be effective across the country in Dhaka and outside Dhaka.

However, when the area will be closed or opened will be coordinated by discussing with the owners of the establishment. The roster will be announced later, he concluded.