为减少空调使用并达到节省电力的目的，孟加拉国政府近期下令，要求政府工作人员改变穿衣风格，将惯常的西装领带换为简便的短袖衬衫，这条规定打破了该国自1982年以来实施的公务员穿着守则。因经济发展需要，孟加拉国长期饱受电力短缺之困扰，每年4月到10月的酷暑季节，电力短缺现象尤为突出。为此，该国政府于上月推出一项总价值60亿美元的发电厂建设项目以结束经济快速发展导致的长期能源短缺困境。

The Bangladeshi prime minister has ordered public servants to ditch suits and ties for short-sleeved shirts to cut air-conditioning use in the power-starved nation.

Sheikh Hasina first raised the idea at a cabinet meeting last month and asked her colleagues to set an example to other government employees.

"She told us to avoid suits and ties on hot days and to wear plain, simple shirts," said communications minister Syed Abul Hossain.

"The prime minister pointed¹ out that air conditioning is a luxury and if we wear the lighter² clothing we will need to use the AC less. I've already noticed top public servants are no longer wearing suits and ties."

The official dress code for civil servants, written in 1982, was this week altered to accommodate Hasina's instructions.

Last month her government unveiled a six-billion-dollar power plant building program to end a chronic³ energy shortage in Bangladesh's fast-growing economy.

The country of 144 million people has long suffered severe power outages due to demands imposed by its economy, which has been growing at around six percent annually⁴ over the past five years.

Shortfalls are especially acute in the hot summer months from April to October.

The crisis also prompted the government to move clocks forward by an hour in June to make maximum use of daytime.