Dec 6, 2025
| Staff Reporter
Experts at the opening session of the 3rd Bangladesh Energy Conference 2025 warned that Bangladesh’s increasing reliance on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) is inflating foreign exchange costs and weakening long-term energy security, prompting a fresh call for a stronger shift towards renewable energy.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, inaugurated the conference on Saturday at the Bangladesh Military Museum in Dhaka. She emphasised that while Bangladesh has taken important policy steps to expand renewable energy, the focus must now move from setting targets to achieving them.
“Energy transition is a long-term process. Past targets were ambitious, but renewable electricity generation remained limited. We need a realistic, implementable roadmap,” she said, highlighting ongoing government initiatives, including installing solar panels on the rooftops of all government buildings.
The three-day conference, held from 6-8 December, convenes leading policymakers, researchers, and civil society representatives to examine current challenges and future pathways for a sustainable energy transition.
Energy economists and policy analysts echoed concerns about the economic risks posed by Bangladesh’s rising LNG bill. With annual LNG import costs climbing significantly in 2024-25 fiscal year, experts stressed the urgency of revising the Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan (IEPMP) to prioritise domestic renewables.
Dr Khandakar Golam Moazzem of the Centre for Policy Dialogue said effective transition requires not only strong policies but also institutional capacity. “Reducing reliance on foreign consultants and ensuring domestic ownership of policy processes must now be urgent priorities,” he said.
Prof Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury of Center for Renewable Energy Services Limited noted that Bangladesh spends nearly US$4 billion a year on electricity subsidies. “Redirecting even half of that amount to renewable energy development could transform the entire sector,” he said, adding that existing electricity policies are not sufficiently supportive of renewables.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman criticised past energy-sector governance failures, saying masterplans developed by foreign agencies like JICA have historically disadvantaged renewable energy. “We need greater involvement of local experts to ensure a transition roadmap aligned with national interests,” he said.
Speakers from LEAD Bangladesh and Manusher Jonno Foundation stressed the importance of transparency, public participation, and the inclusion of marginalised communities—especially women—in shaping the country’s energy transition.
Since the first Bangladesh Energy Conference in 2023, the country has made notable progress, including halting approvals for new fossil-fuel-based power plants, offering 10-year tax exemptions for renewables, and initiating tenders for over 5,200 MW of solar capacity. Yet rising LNG imports and growing subsidy pressure highlight the urgent need for a more sustainable energy mix.
Organised by the Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development (BWGED) and 16 partner organisations, the conference aims to guide the country toward a more secure, inclusive, and climate-resilient energy future.
News Link: Rising LNG costs spark fresh call for renewable shift