State Minister
Uninterrupted electricity at affordable price govt’s next challenge: Nasrul
The government’s next challenge is to ensure uninterrupted electricity at affordable price for all, said State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid on Thursday.
“Now, we’ll all work to ensure uninterrupted electricity at affordable tariff,” he said while exchanging views with reporters after the Power Division’s receiving of “Independence Award-2022” from the government.
The Power Division was given the Independence Award 2022 for successfully bringing 100 percent of the country under the electricity coverage by increasing the daily power generation capacity to 25,514 megawatt.
Read: Bangladesh makes good progress despite Covid pandemic: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave away the highest national award to nine distinguished individuals and two organisations including the Power Division in recognition of outstanding contribution in their respective fields.
Nasrul said that after the achievement of the goal to ensure 100 percent access to electricity, peoples’ expectation has gone up. “Now people want quality power at an affordable price.”
He said the ministry will now give its all efforts to achieve the goal of uninterrupted electricity at an affordable price.
“We hope we will be able to attain our target by 2024,” he said adding this summer will create a new demand for 1500 MW electricity.
But primary fuel prices on the global market have increased by 4-5 times which creates a new challenge for the government, he added.
Read: PM distributes Independence Award to 9 people, 2 organisations
Power secretary Habibur Rahman, Bangladesh Power Development Board Chairman Belayet Hossain and Power Cell director general Mohammad Hossain were present on the occasion.
Many energy experts believe that though the electricity networks have reached all over the country, still many areas have to experience disruption in power supply due to weak transmission and distribution systems.
Power sector needs $65 billion investment to meet growing demand: Nasrul Hamid
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said that Bangladesh needs $65 billion in investment in the power sector to meet growing demand.
He said there will be huge demand in power and energy sector as more than 40 economic zones are being developed across the country.
“These economic zones will create huge opportunity for industrial sector to set up manufacturing units,” he said while making a keynote presentation on “Power and Energy Sector: Change Ahead” at a seminar at the Bangladesh International Investment Summit 2021 at a city hotel on Monday.
READ: Nasrul Hamid visits Redbridge; highlights impacts of climate change on Bangladesh
The investment summit, organized by Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), was also addressed by Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Asian Development Bank’s Bangladesh country director Edimon Ginting, International Finance Corporation’s regional head of industry, infrastructure and natural resources Isabel Chatterton, executive director-Gas to Power Business Development, Acwa Power of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Ayad Al Amri, local Summit Group’s chairman Mohammed Aziz Khan, Chevron Bangladesh’s country director Eric M Walker and president of Bangladesh Independent Power Producers’ Association (BIPPA).
Nasrul said Bangladesh has been offering best policies in the region for the foreign investors to come in the power and energy sector.
“Specially, power transmission and distribution segment and renewable energy could be very potential sector for private investors”, he added.
Nasrul noted that steps have been taken to reduce carbon emission by 49 per cent in power and energy sector by 2030.
“We have already abandoned a number of coal-fired power projects that would generate 8500 MW electricity”, he said adding that the country’s power system master plan is being updated to promote green technologies in the sector.
He said plans are being undertaken to increase the use of electric vehicle to reduce the carbon emission.
READ: Bangladesh won't bow down to fundamentalist forces: Nasrul Hamid
Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said Bangladesh is emphasizing more on clean energy development rather than renewable energy.
He said technologies are changing fast and Bangladesh is always looking for newer technologies in power and energy sector.
He said Bangladesh will invite foreign companies to invest in its offshore area for hydrocarbon exploration.
ADB country director Edimon Ginting appreciated the government’s current polities for promotion private sector investment.
He said ADB will always remain supportive to Bangladesh to help develop its infrastructures.
Ayad Al Amri said Saudi Arabia has been very experience in power and energy sector and his companies are keen to invest more in the sector in Bangladesh.
Hamid says fuel prices to fall in line with global market
Fuel prices in Bangladesh will fall in line with prices in the international market, State Minister for Energy, Power and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said Saturday, in the aftermath of the shock move to hike the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk15 - over 23 percent - in one go.
The state minister could not say however, when that might happen, since price movements in the international market are dictated by market forces.
The IMF in its official blog does not expect the current surge in energy prices to ease until next year.
READ: PM monitoring situation over fuel price hike: Quader
"Our expectation is that these prices will revert to more normal levels early next year when heating demand ebbs and supplies adjust," said the blog post authored by Andrea Pescatori, Chief of the Commodities Unit in the IMF Research Department.
Hamid, speaking from Glasgow, tried to justify the hike by pointing out the government has also cut fuel prices in the past, in line with falling prices internationally at the time. “Fuel prices were cut in 2016. Now fuel prices have been readjusted with the hike in global prices and to prevent smuggling,” he said in a views-exchange meeting with reporters in Glasgow, where he is part of the Bangladesh contingent at COP26. The State Minister said the government refixed the prices of diesel and kerosene on November 4 in the greater national interest, and pointed out the diesel price is still lower than in some neighbouring countries, according to a PID handout. “Today (Nov 6) diesel price in India’s Kolkata is Rs 89.79, equal to Tk 104 per liter. The number of trucks entering the country everyday through the 26 land ports is also a matter of consideration. There is a possibility of fuel smuggling.” “We have to go for electric vehicles. If public transports could be made to run on electricity, it will be environment-friendly. These will reduce spending on importing fuel,” he added. The government raised the prices of diesel and kerosene to Tk 80 from Tk 65 at the retail level last Wednesday - a rise of more than 23 percent in one go.
An exceptionally rapid global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic-induced recession has seen global gas, coal and electricity prices rise in recent weeks to their highest levels in decades.
Natural gas prices have seen the biggest increase, according to the International Energy Agency, with European and Asian benchmark prices hitting an all-time record last week – around ten times their level a year ago at the height of the pandemic.
READ: Govt’s logic behind fuel price hike ‘unacceptable': Fakhrul In a statement, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources said, "Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has been incurring a loss of Tk 20 crore per day as it is selling each liter of diesel at Tk 13.01 lower than the import price, and each liter of furnace oil at Tk 6.21 lower than the import price." As such, it said the retail prices were being adjusted in line with the surging energy prices on the international market. The association of bus, truck and van owners went on an indefinite strike from Friday in protest against fuel price hike.
Hajj management in 2022 to be tech-based: State Minister
As Hajj management in 2022 will be technology based, necessary training will be given to pilgrims and others concerned , said State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan on Tuesday.
“Pilgrims will perform hajj using different apps due to Covid-19 pandemic and currently Umrah activities are being performed by using apps in Saudi Arabia,” he said at a programme over Hajj management at the conference room of the ministry.
The junior minister also said that the Saudi government also expressed its firm expectation that the Hajj will be held in 2022 due to improvement in Covid situation.
Concerned officials, guides, representatives of Hajj agencies and pilgrims will be made aware of technology use in Hajj management and steps will be taken to give them training , he said.
Entering govt jobs: Farhad says no chance to relax age limit
State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain on Tuesday told Parliament that the government has no plan to raise the maximum age limit for taking up government jobs.
Defending the government’s stance, he said if the age limit is raised, the competition will intensify creating a frustration among the jobseekers aged below 30 amid the low vacant posts.
“Right now the government has no plan to raise the age limit for entering the government services,” said the state minister replying to a tabled question from BNP MP Mosharof Hosen (Bogura-4).
Also read: Rules don’t permit to address govt officials as sir or madam: Farhad
Farhad said now there is no serious session jams in different educational institutes, including universities, as in the past when a student normally completed SSC at the age of 16 years, HSC at 18 years and graduation at 23-24 years. The students get some 6-7 years in hand to apply for government jobs, he said.
Rules don’t permit to address govt officials as sir or madam: Farhad
State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain on Tuesday said the Rules of Business does not allow addressing the government officials as sir or madam.
“There is no directive to address the government officials as sir or madam as it is against the Rules of Business. The Father of the Nation’s directive to government officials had been to become the service provider of people,” he said.
Farhad said this while speaking at a dialogue organised by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) held at the Secretariat.
“Your (government officials) attitude is most important to the people. If you get angry or snub someone then it will be considered as corruption. Misbehaviour is tantamount to corruption. We’ll not allow it as your (government officials) behaviour is the behaviour of the government,” said Farhad.
Also read: Take preparations for future challenges: Farhad Hossain
State Minister Enamur infected with coronavirus
Dr Enamur Rahman, the state minister for disaster management and relief, has tested positive for Covid-19.
Educational institutions likely to reopen in Feb: State Minister
State Minister of Primary and Mass Education Md Zakir Hossain on Tuesday said educational institutions are likely to reopen any day in February after 11 months of closure forced by the coronavirus outbreak.
Rookie State Minister maintains: "Idols and sculptures not the same"
Still in his first week as State Minister for Religious Affairs, Md Faridul Haque Khan on Tuesday reiterated the point he pushed on his very first day: idols and sculptures are two different things, and focusing a discussion on the topic can resolve the misunderstandings that have come to the fore on this.
Sculpture and idol quite different things: State Minister
Newly-inducted state minister for religious affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan on Sunday said there is a difference between a sculpture and idol, and sculptures are there in almost all the countries of the world.