The North Dhaka 42.5 MW Waste-to-Energy (WTE) project was introduced in late 2021 as a joint initiative between the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC). Promoted as a modern response to Dhaka's mounting waste challenges, the project has instead become a focal point of national debate due to concerns over transparency, cost, and environmental impact. From the outset, the project’s approval process raised red flags. It was sanctioned under the “Special Provisions Act 2010,” a legal pathway that enabled authorities to bypass competitive bidding and limit comprehensive environmental scrutiny. This approach drew immediate criticism from organizations such as CLEAN, BWGED, and other civil society groups, who argue that the project reflects a pattern of non-transparent decision-making in Bangladesh’s infrastructure development.​​​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​​

 

 

 

 

The financial structure of the project has been another major source of concern. The North Dhaka 42.5 MW WTE project is sponsored by WTE Power Plant North Dhaka Private Limited (WPNDL), 100% owned by the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), which is further owned by China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach), a Chinese state-owned enterprise under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), which is directly administered by the Communist Party of China (CPC).​ According to the Project Summary Information (PSI), a total of USD 467 million will be required to install a 42.5 MW WTE Power Plant. It means, the installation cost of the power plant will be USD 10.99 million per MW, which is 11 times higher than solar power plant and triple of the nuclear power plant.

​​

​The North Dhaka 42.5 MW Waste-to-Energy (WTE) project continues to face serious environmental, social, and economic concerns despite the approval of its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Experts and civil society groups warn that the project could increase air pollution, generate hazardous ash, and further threaten the already vulnerable Turag River ecosystem, while also failing to ensure meaningful public participation. Questions over the suitability of Dhaka’s high-moisture waste for efficient energy generation, combined with repeated delays from December 2024 to July 2026, further raise doubts about the construction, feasibility, project’s technical and financial viability. Critics argue that the project reflects a broader pattern of non-transparent and unsustainable infrastructure planning that risks undermining Bangladesh’s climate and public health commitments.