Bangladesh plunges into power blackout after grid failure

DHAKA,Bangladesh (AP) — A failure in Bangladesh’s power grid plunged much of the country into a blackout. In the capital, Dhaka, market vendors lit candles and diners at restaurants ate food prepared by candlelight Tuesday evening. The state-run Bangladesh Power Development Board said power transmission had failed in the eastern part of the country, cutting electricity in Dhaka and other big cities. Officials said restoring power could take hours. Bangladesh’s recent impressive economic growth has been threatened by power shortages since the government suspended operations of all diesel-run power plants to reduce costs for imports as prices have soared.