Sep 9, 2026
| Staff Corrospondent
RMG leaders and energy experts stressed that Bangladesh must place renewable-energy transition and energy sovereignty at the centre of its long-term industrial strategy as the continuing energy crisis, rising fuel-import dependence and unreliable supply increasingly threaten RMG's sustainability.
The call came at the "Rapid Energy Transition Conference: Powering Security, Sustainability and Growth in Bangladesh RMG," convened by Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Bangladesh on Monday last in Dhaka.
The event brought together 108 representatives from RMG factories. Speakers included representatives from BGMEA, BKMEA and BSREA, alongside international brands, financial institutions, renewable-energy companies and technical organisations, according to a press release.
The conference featured three working sessions examining the urgency of renewable-energy transition, available financing and technology pathways, and the role of business associations in supporting industry-wide implementation, respectively.
In his opening speech, Abil Bin Amin, Executive Director of ETI Bangladesh, called for a just and collaborative energy transition, stressing that factories and workers should not bear the costs of meeting international climate targets and transitioning to renewables, without collective stakeholder engagement and support.
Eng. Imran Kader Turjo, Director of BKMEA, warned that Bangladesh could not secure the RMG sector's energy future through rooftop solar alone.
"We are already late; these renewable-energy and infrastructure initiatives should have been implemented 10 to 12 years ago. Our priority now must be rapid and focused implementation," he said.
Nishat Nahrin Hamid, Chairman of BGMEA's Standing Committee on Energy Optimisation, said renewable energy had become fundamental to production security and competitiveness.
"As an industry, we must become more independent when it comes to energy. Energy sovereignty must be part of Bangladesh's industrial resilience strategy," she said.
Kazy Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, South Asia Regional Sustainability Manager at Lindex, echoed this point and said responsibility for the transition could not be placed on factories alone.
The first working session also featured keynote presentations by Priyong Sabastini, Senior Programme Officer at ETI Bangladesh, and Hasan Mehedi, Chief Executive of Coastal livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN).
Priyong stressed that Bangladesh's RMG sector was caught between a worsening domestic energy crisis and growing global pressures arising from LDC graduation, EU regulations and brands' net-zero commitments, making an accelerated renewable-energy transition essential to long-term industrial resilience and competitiveness.
Hasan Mehedi in his keynote linked the present crisis to Bangladesh's growing exposure to imported LNG, coal, oil and cross-border electricity, noting imported LNG's share of the country's gas supply had increased from around 11 per cent in FY2018-19 to 35 per cent in FY2025-26.
News Link: No way forward without renewable energy