UPDATE 1-Bangladesh hit by power cuts on eve of festivities

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DHAKA, Dec 15, (Reuters) - Most of Bangladesh, including its capital Dhaka, was without electricity on Saturday after a national power failure that threatened to dampen national independence celebrations.

"Most of the country's some 60 power plants went out of generation after the grid failed following mechanical trouble at a plant at Ashuganj near Dhaka," an energy ministry official said. Ashuganj is about 100 (60 miles) northeast of Dhaka.

The grid failure came as an embarrassment on the eve of celebrations on Sunday to mark Victory Day when all government and public buildings are normally illuminated.

Bangladesh was liberated on Dec. 16, 1971, following a nine-month-long guerrilla war against Pakistani forces.

The power situation was expected to improve by Saturday midnight, but normal generation and transmission of electricity might not be possible until Monday, officials said.

"Engineers are trying to re-start generators at the affected plants, but at the moment we cannot say when the power supply will be normal," Bazlul Haq, spokesman for Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) told Reuters.

Bangladesh's decades old power plants were built mostly with assistance from China, the then Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. (Reporting by Nizam Ahmed; Editing by Richard Balmforth)