Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has taken a personal lead in the national effort to conserve energy by cutting electricity consumption in his own office at the Bangladesh Secretariat by half.

Upon arriving at his office at 9:10 am today, the Premier immediately ordered a 50 percent reduction in lighting and adjusted the air-conditioning settings to a more energy-efficient level.

According to the Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary, Atikur Rahman Ruman, the Prime Minister "immediately switched off 50 percent of the lights in his room and set the air-conditioning temperature to 25.1 degrees."

Ruman explained that maintaining the cooling system at this specific level is a strategic move to significantly lower power usage.

The austerity measures were not limited to his private quarters; after entering the Cabinet chamber for a scheduled meeting, the Prime Minister "instructed officials concerned to turn off half of the lights and raise the AC temperature in the Cabinet meeting room."

Following these direct instructions, the Cabinet Division and other departments housed within Building No. 1 of the Secretariat followed suit, halving their lighting and reducing AC levels.

Beyond the government's administrative hub, the Prime Minister issued a broader appeal to the nation, urging all ministries, private commercial establishments, shopping malls, and residential buildings to be more cautious in their energy habits.

He specifically "requested all to reduce the use of artificial lighting during the daytime and instead utilize natural sunlight by opening curtains and windows in offices and homes."

This move is seen as a symbolic and practical step toward managing the country's power resources more effectively.