Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday sought support from business leaders and the media in implementing the government’s plans to address the country’s power and energy challenges, saying the government should be given an opportunity to execute its plans without instability during its tenure.
He also hoped that gas supply to industries will return to its previous level from Tuesday evening.
Speaking at a three-hour view-exchange meeting with business leaders and media personalities at his office at the Bangladesh Secretariat, the Prime Minister warned that any instability in the country could hurt business, trade and the economy, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.
“The people will decide at the appropriate time whom they want to entrust with running the government. But whichever government is in office at a given time should be allowed to complete its planned work,” he said.
Describing the current crisis in the power and energy sector as a problem inherited by the government, Tarique Rahman said it will not be possible to resolve it fully within six months or a year.
“But we have identified the problems, prepared plans and are now at the stage of implementing those plans,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the government is working according to specific timelines to restore normalcy in power and energy supplies.
“If we can implement these plans, not only business and trade but the overall economy will benefit,” he said.
“We hope, Insha-Allah, from tomorrow evening the gas supply will return to something like the level it was at one to one and a half months ago,” Tarique Rahman added.
State Minister for Power and Energy Aninda Islam Amit made a presentation titled “Challenges and Future Roadmap of Bangladesh’s Power and Energy Sector” at the meeting.
Explaining the current gas crisis, the Prime Minister said gas supplies were disrupted after an accident at one of the country’s two floating LNG terminals, affecting industries and other sectors.
He said the problem caused by the accident has already been resolved.
Tarique Rahman said the government is also taking steps to install a third floating LNG terminal to address the supply shortfall.
He said preparations for the installation of another terminal on a government-to-government basis were largely completed over the past month and work on it will begin soon.
The government expects to connect the third terminal to the gas supply system by December 2027, the Prime Minister said.
He said the problems in the power sector are also longstanding.
After taking office, the government reviewed the problems, held discussions with the relevant stakeholders and prepared plans to address them, Tarique Rahman said, adding that implementation of those plans is now underway.
“Planning for anything and implementing it takes time. This problem in energy and power has been inherited. It is not possible to solve it within six months or a year simply by wishing to do so,” he said.
The government also presented business leaders with tentative timelines for completing various planned initiatives.
The Prime Minister said the timelines could shift slightly during implementation, but the government has a clear plan and timeframe before it.
Seeking cooperation from the business community, he said any damage to business and industry will have an overall impact on the country’s economy.
“So, solving the power and energy problem is not only a matter of interest for the business community. It is linked to the overall economic progress of the country,” Tarique Rahman said.
