"Please save us. We are passing a tough time," Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Tipu Munshi made the request at a seminar titled 'Energy Conservation and Demand Management' jointly organised by BGMEA and Power Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources in Dhaka.

State Minister for Power Iqbal Hasan Mahmood, who was also present at the seminar, did not assure the exporters of immediate solution. But he made a set of recommendations including load management, to improve power supply.

Tipu Munshi said uninterrupted electricity supply of at least for 8 hours to 10 hours a day is a must to save the sector. The industry also runs the risk of missing shipment deadlines, he noted.

He also said RMG units must run during daytime for the sake of women workers.

Former president of BGMEA Annisul Huq said erratic power supply is seriously hampering the work schedule at factories.

He requested the state minister to make a specific plan of load management and notify the factories of outage in advance.

When the minister gave accounts of mid and long term plans of power generation and development of transmission and supply system, Huq said, "We want immediate solution to the crisis".

The state minister also said proper load management and use of energy-saving bulbs are the immediate measures to improve the power situation.

Power Division Secretary ANH Akhtar Hossain said lack of systematic urban planning is responsible for poor transmission and distribution system of electricity.