Bangladesh is facing a summer of potential power cuts and shortages due to a lack of natural gas from existing fields and the country’s foreign currency reserve crisis. During the high summer period, households will be the last to receive energy allocation, with it being unpredictable as to how many hours of the day they will be without electricity. Compressed natural gas (CNG) pumps, which are vital for most vehicles, are being rationed with up to five hours a day. The US dollar crunch is already affecting the country, which has been forced to buy liquefied natural gas from the spot market to prevent industrial shutdowns in many sectors. Bangladesh is also facing multi-billion dollar import bills for grain, cereal, raw materials and capital machinery, and must make a deferred payment to Russia on multi-billion dollar nuclear plant loans while making payments to China for multiple infrastructural projects. At the same time, energy experts estimate that demand for summer electricity usage may rise beyond the current 16,000 MW, even though Bangladesh’s forex reserves are in crisis.