TIB Senior Research Fellow Md. Mahfuzul Haque presented a summary of the research on this topic at the meeting. In addition to experts from the power and energy sectors, the meeting was also attended by those directly affected by the Barisal coal-fired power plant, Banshkhali SS power plant, and Matarbari LNG power plant.
In his speech as the chief guest, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said that it is necessary to formulate a national policy at this time to ensure good governance in the power and energy sector. That policy must be made keeping in mind the dreams and goals of Bangladesh. The IEPMP will also be formulated in the light of that national policy. By doing so, it will be possible to fill any gaps or gaps in the power and energy sector.
Speaking as a special guest, Engineer Mohammad Hossain, Director General of the Power Cell under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, said, "There will be some mistakes in the work. If those mistakes are pointed out constructively, the Power Cell is interested in correcting them. Several suggestions have been received regarding the IEPMP. They will be considered seriously."
In a panel discussion, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, CEO of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), said that instead of utilizing domestic capacity, i.e., our own gas resources, foreign LNG-based power plants are being built, which mainly indicates the fulfillment of business interests.
Khandaker Golam Moazzem, Research Director of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said, "We expect development not only in GDP-based development but also in the areas of power and energy and environment. Appropriate policy frameworks need to be formulated and implemented in this sector."
Shamsul Alam, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Daffodil International University, said that the government must take the initiative to control the dictatorial behavior of the heads of autonomous institutions to establish good governance in the power and energy sector.
Badrul Imam, honorary professor of geology at Dhaka University, said, "We have celebrated a lot since the conquest of the sea in 2012. But have we utilized that sea boundary in the last 10 years? What have we done so far where neighboring countries are extracting gas? It is important to find answers to these questions."
In his closing remarks, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said, an inclusive and participatory IEPMP should be formulated in the power and energy sectors. The proposed IEPMP, along with a specific roadmap, should strategically prioritize renewable energy. In addition, the immunity provision of the 'Rapid Increase in Power and Energy Supply (Special Provisions) Act' should be repealed to establish good governance in the power sector.
