After a brief pause in operations, coal extraction has successfully resumed at Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited (BCMCL) from Face No. 1406 of Longwall Panel.
The coal lifting began earlier this morning, marking a significant milestone for the mine’s operations.
Khan Md Zafor Sadiq, General Manager Mine Operation at BCMCL, shared the update via social media, stating, “Alhamdulillah, overcoming many challenges, we have been able to restart coal extraction today, August 9, 2025, from Face No. 1406 in the early hours of the morning. Thanks to the internal efforts of officials, engineers, and workers, production has been restored.”
Sadiq expressed his gratitude towards the senior authorities whose continuous guidance and encouragement made the resumption possible. He emphasized the collective efforts of the entire team in overcoming obstacles and advancing toward production targets.
Barapukuria remains Bangladesh’s only active coal mine and plays a crucial role to feed Barapukuria Power Plants.
The government plans to produce 3.2 million tonnes of coal from the mine’s northern section by December 2027. While half that target has already been met from the central section by a Chinese contractor, delays in northern production threaten further disruption, says officials.
With BCMCL holding a 3.15 lakh-tonne stockpile and plants sitting on 75,000 tonnes, officials warn that continued procurement shortfalls of coal by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) could halt operations and trigger Liquidated Damages (LD) clauses in the production agreement.
The coal procurement from BCMCL has dropped to 1,500-1,600 tonnes per day – far below the 5,000-5,500-tonne demand – due to reduced power plant operations and technical issues across all three Barapukuria power plant units.