Coal extraction from the Barapukuria Mine in Dinajpur has been temporarily stopped. Coal extraction will not be done in the Barapukuria mine until next August.
Extraction was halted from Monday (June 23) noon as the coal reserves of phase 1305 of the mine were exhausted.
Khan Md. Zafar Sadiq, General Manager (Current Duty) of the Mine Operations Department of Barapukuria Coal Mine, said that mining may begin in the first week of August after the installation of equipment in the 1406 new phase.
Coal extraction began from Phase 1305 of the mine on January 23, 2025. 510,000 tons of coal were extracted from this phase before it was closed. Coal production at the mine will be temporarily suspended for about one and a half months to transfer equipment to the new Phase 1406. 350,000 tons of coal will be available from the new phase.
Chief Engineer of Barapukuria Coal-Based Thermal Power Plant Md. Abu Bakkar Siddique said that about 5 lakh tons of coal are stored in the coal yard to keep the thermal power plant operational. Of the three units of the plant, 60 MW from Unit No. 1 and 180 MW of electricity generated from Unit No. 3 are being supplied to the national grid. Unit No. 2 is closed.
Saiful Islam Sarkar, MD of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited, said that coal extraction has been temporarily stopped to build a new phase of the mine. Once the development work of the new phase is completed, coal extraction is expected to begin in the first week of August.
