Uninterrupted power supply in cities and villages possible within two years: Information adviser

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman has said uninterrupted electricity supply in both rural and urban areas of Bangladesh could be ensured within the next one and a half to two years through the installation of floating LNG terminals (FSRUs), domestic gas exploration, full-scale operation of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and the connection of Bhola’s gas reserves to the national grid.

He made the remarks at a press conference on the progress of various government activities at the conference room of the Press Information Department (PID) at the Secretariat on Tuesday (1 September).

The information adviser said the government was working on a long-term and sustainable plan to overcome the current power crisis, which has been caused by fuel shortages, mechanical problems at power plants and increased demand resulting from the recent expansion of economic activity.

Addressing disparities in electricity distribution, Dr Zahed said, “Previously, there was a discriminatory system in which Dhaka and other major cities were kept largely free from load-shedding while rural areas faced additional outages. We have moved away from that approach. As a matter of government policy, the temporary burden is now being shared more evenly between urban and rural areas.”

Outlining the government’s two-year targets for the power sector, he said installing a new FSRU would take around one and a half to two years, allowing Bangladesh to increase LNG imports.

At the same time, a Tk 500 crore project is underway to bring Bhola’s gas into the national grid, while Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX) is working on drilling and re-drilling 150 wells.

He added that the trial operation of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant would begin this September and that the plant would start supplying electricity to the national grid at full capacity from next year.

“As a result, within the next one and a half to two years, the power sector will become more reliable and uninterrupted than at any time in the past,” he said.

At the same press conference, the information adviser highlighted developments in the overseas labour market. He said that following continued diplomatic efforts by the government, Malaysia had taken an in-principle decision to recruit 10,000 new workers from Bangladesh at no cost to the workers, including airfares.

He also said the new decision would move away from the recruiting syndicate established during the Hasina government. In addition to the 25 previously approved primary agencies, another 312 agencies have been given the opportunity to send workers to Malaysia as associate recruiting agencies.