Bangladesh has closed universities and has initiated fuel rationing amid an energy crisis due to the war in the Middle East. Authorities shut all public and private universities across the country from Monday, bringing forward the Eid al-Fitr holidays as part of emergency measures to conserve electricity and fuel.
Officials said the move will not only reduce electricity consumption but also ease traffic congestion, which leads to fuel wastage. They said the university campuses consume large amounts of electricity for residential halls, classrooms, laboratories and air conditioning, and the early closure would help ease pressure on the country’s strained power system.
“The decision has been taken to reduce electricity and fuel consumption considering the current global situation,” Bangladesh’s Ministry of Education said in a directive circulated to university authorities.