Bangladesh cuts school and office hours to save power

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A government official says that Bangladesh will close schools for one more day each week.

There were two-hour power cuts last month.

The government raised petrol prices by more than 50% and protesters took to the streets.

Bangladesh's economy and foreign currency reserves have been adversely affected by the war in Ukraine.

Schools in Bangladesh will now be closed on Saturdays, according to the Bangladesh Cabinet Secretary.

Schools in Bangladesh are usually open for six days a week.

Government offices and banks will be open seven days a week, instead of eight. Private offices will be able to set their own hours.

The government will provide power to villages in the early hours of the morning when crops are being grown.

Many parts of Bangladesh don't have electricity for long periods of time.

Natural gas is used to generate most of the country's electricity.

All of the country's diesel-driven power plants have been shut down because of rising fuel costs.

The price of petrol was raised by more than 50% earlier this month.

Diesel and Kerosene prices went up by more than 40%.

In July, Bangladesh applied for a loan from the International Monetary Fund.

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are expected to convene in October to discuss the size of the potential loan.

Bangladesh's foreign currency reserves have dwindled to less than a month's worth of government spending.

The $416 billion economy has been praised as one of the fastest growing in the world.