Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir has said it will take time to overcome Bangladesh’s ongoing energy crisis and restore a stable power supply.

Speaking at a discussion marking July Mass Uprising Day in Sylhet on Wednesday, he attributed the recurring two- to four-hour power cuts to years of inadequate energy infrastructure and said the country’s dependence on imported LNG has exposed gaps in storage and gas-conversion facilities.

He urged people to view the current period as a “transition time”, saying there is no immediate solution and that developing the necessary infrastructure will take time.

The minister also said a new 187-acre BSCIC industrial estate would begin development in Sylhet this year, aiming to expand small and medium industries and create employment.

He further said work to upgrade the Sylhet-Dhaka highway to six lanes would be completed by next year.