Government trying to import gas from Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar: Rizvi

The government is trying to import gas from Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar to address the country’s electricity and energy crisis, BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has claimed.

He said the current crisis was not created by the government but had resulted from the impact of the global situation, which has put pressure on the country’s power and energy sectors.

Rizvi made the remarks as the chief guest at a human chain and protest rally organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Freedom Fighters’ Party and the Generation of the Liberation War in front of the National Press Club on Wednesday (September 16).

He said the government was exploring alternative sources to address the electricity and energy crisis. As part of the effort, he claimed, attempts were being made to bring gas from Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar.

Despite the ongoing crisis, remittance inflows into the country have increased and foreign exchange reserves have risen significantly compared with the previous period, Rizvi also informed.

Speaking about Bangladesh’s electricity supply situation, the BNP leader referred to the Adani Power plant in Jharkhand, India. He claimed that Bangladesh had become dependent on India for electricity supply because the plant is controlled from India.

“On the day the prime minister decided not to attend BRICS, it was reported the following day that one unit of the Adani power plant had broken down,” Rizvi said. “The plant supplies 1,300 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh. Yet its switch is in Jharkhand, India. They can turn it off and on at any time.”

Rizvi also questioned whether any political calculations were involved in the situation. “You do not have to be an expert to understand what lies behind such circumstances,” he said.

The BNP leader also spoke about the country’s foreign policy at the rally. He alleged that there had been a plan to deny Prime Minister Tarique Rahman due respect at the BRICS summit. According to Rizvi, Tarique Rahman protected the country’s dignity by refusing to remain on the “sidelines” as the prime minister of an independent and sovereign nation.

Rizvi further claimed that a new political environment had emerged in the country following the 2024 mass uprising led by students and the public, after years of political crisis and incidents including bank embezzlement, enforced disappearances and killings.

He alleged that opposition groups and a particular neighbouring group were engaged in various conspiracies against the current government.

Rizvi also accused India of providing shelter to those allegedly implicated in the deaths and repression of 1,400 students and members of the public, including Sheikh Hasina. He claimed that the failure to return these individuals to Bangladesh had raised questions among ordinary people.

Referring to recent incidents at and around Dhaka University Central Students’ Union, Rizvi said a particular group was seeking revenge for its defeat in 1971. He said the country’s freedom fighters and ordinary people would resist any such conspiracy.

Among those present at the rally were Bangladesh Nationalist Freedom Fighters’ Party President Ishtiaq Aziz Ulfat, Senior Vice-President Alamgir Kabir, General Secretary K M I Monty, Abdul Hakim and Organising Secretary Mia Mohammad Anwar, along with other leaders of the organisation.