Dec 6, 2025
| Staff Correspondent
The government has no capability to get rid of the deals that were signed by the ousted Awami League government, said Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh.
The companies that benefited from such a deal would remain in operation on one hand, and on the other hand, the people would have to bear the burdens of such deals for years, he said yesterday at the inauguration of Bangladesh Energy Conference 2025.
It is a very important finding from the national committee to review the power sector deals that the then government committed an "organised crime" in signing the deals and used state organs in this regard, Iftekharuzzaman. "We cannot be overly angry with those who have benefited from this organised crime."
The reason is that these were agreements made between the state and state-level actors. "The state does not have the capacity to simply withdraw from the agreements that have been made for the future." It seems that it is not possible for the government to go to the international courts.
As a result, the responsibility will lie with the companies (with whom the deals were signed) and the burden will have to be borne by the people of this country, he said. The companies, as well as the fossil fuel lobbies, are still active in the power sector. "The sector's progress is always in strong opposition to those lobbies. We are now aiming for Net Zero Transition, but that lobby is very much strong."
In contrast, the groups who are working on renewable energy would need to build a clear national roadmap towards decarbonisation gradually. "We should have ensured that the current and upcoming governments wouldn't fall into that particular lobby's traps," he added.
The three-day conference will continue until December 8. Today, around eight technical sessions would be held between 9:30 and 5:00pm. At the inaugural session, experts have urged urgent revision of the Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan (IEPMP) to increase the share of renewable energy in the country's energy mix.
Energy transition is a long-term process and the interim government has initiated multiple policies and programmes to expand renewable energy, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The priority should not just be setting targets but achieving them.
In the past, ambitious targets were set, but renewable electricity generation remained minimal. Therefore, a realistic and implementable roadmap is crucial, said Rizwana, who inaugurated the event. Effective energy transition requires the integration of technical knowledge, sound policies and skilled human resources, said Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Research Director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue.
Reducing reliance on foreign consultants and building institutional capacity while ensuring domestic ownership of policy implementation is now an urgent priority, he added.
The government spends about Tk 40,000 crore a year on electricity subsidies, said Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury, Chairman of the Centre for Renewable Energy Services at United International University. "Allocating even half of this to renewable energy could transform the sector, which would save the entire fuel cost in the next 10 years. Current electricity policies are not renewable-friendly, slowing progress." He urged prioritising the issues in the revised IEPMP in collaboration with domestic experts.
The Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development (BWGED) organised the event in collaboration with 16 partner organisations. BWGED coordinator Kazi Maruful Islam chaired the session while Manusher Jonno Foundation's Director (Rights and Governance) Banasree Mitra Neogi, LEAD Bangladesh's research director Md Shimonuzzaman, ActionAid Bangladesh's manager (Just Energy Transition) Abul Kalam Azad also spoke among others.
News Link: Country trapped in Awami-era power deals