Bangladesh switches to daylight saving
Energy-starved Bangladesh has readjusted its clock, bringing forward the country's standard time by one hour, as part of measures to increase use of sun light and reduce electricity consumption.
Energy-starved Bangladesh has readjusted its clock, bringing forward the country's standard time by one hour, as part of measures to increase use of sun light and reduce electricity consumption.
The country switched time from GMT+6 to GMT+7 on Saturday and will continue with the daylight saving measure till October one when the clock will be turned back an hour.
Schools and offices began an hour earlier as the country expects a five per cent reduction in the national power demand between 7 pm and 8 pm -- the evening peak hour.
According to Energy Ministry officials, the government expects that 250 megawatt could be saved with the readjustment in the country that faces power shortage of nearly 1,500 MW.
The traditional big clock at RAJUK Bhaban in Dhaka was pushed forward by an hour at 11 pm on Friday and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina released a postage stamp coinciding with the event under the Daylight Saving Time (DST) scheme.
The country witnessed the DST campaign calling for early start of work in offices and schools, shops and other business institutions for the past several weeks as authorities were desperately trying to fill the electricity deficit by rehabilitating the existing plants and transmission systems.
The cabinet on June 1 decided to adopt DST from midnight on June 19 in line with an earlier proposal to optimise the use of daylight saving power.
The United States, Canada, European nations, Brazil and countries of Middle-East have already introduced DST.