DHAKA: Bangladesh has ordered civil servants to switch off the lights and turn down air conditioning to save power as the Mideast war worsens an energy crunch, officials said on Monday.

The South Asian nation of 170 million people imports 95 per cent of its oil and gas needs.

The Ministry of Public Administration issued a string of orders regarding office attendance and saving electricity and fuel, ministry official Sakhawat Hossain said on Monday.

`Only the necessary number of lights, fans, air conditioners, and otherelectrical equipment should be used`, the order issued read. It also reminded workers to turn off the lights when they leave, and ordered that air conditioning temperatures must be set at 25 degrees Celsius, or warmer.

Bangladesh has said it is seeking loans of around $2 billion from multilateral donors to tackle energy worries. The government has already taken several measures to curb fuel consumption, including setting limits on fuel purchases, halting production at most fertiliser factories, and deploying police to patrol filling stations.-AFP