Bangladesh begins an hour earlier to save electricity

By IANS,

Dhaka : Grappling with a power crisis, Bangladesh has decided to begin its days an hour earlier in a move to save electricity by utilising daylight.

The country switched to Daylight Saving Time (DST) Saturday, moving away from the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), by utilising the daylight.

So on Saturday, parents woke up early to rush their children to school.

Offices, educational institutions, hospitals and government and non-government organisations also opened at the new time with the exception of a handful of double-shift schools.

The official Bangladesh Standard Time is now GMT+7.

"Majority of the people think there will be no negative impact on the daily life due to observance of DST," The Daily Star said Sunday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Friday night inaugurated the DST, urging everyone to save electricity by utilising the daylight.

The government expects a five percent reduction in the national power demand, equivalent to 200 megawatt of power, during the evening peak hour - 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The daylight saving measure will end Oct 1, when the clock is to be set back an hour.

From next year, the clock would be set an hour forward April 1 and set back an hour Oct 1.

A.A.M.S. Arefin Siddique, vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, said the varsity's classes, libraries, laboratories and examinations will be held according to the new time.

"Initially we may feel something unusual while adopting the new time," he said.

He suggested that the DST should become permanent even after the power crisis is resolved