Dhaka, September 7, 2026: The opposition in Parliament on Monday proposed forming a high-level cell to find a lasting solution to Bangladesh’s ongoing power and energy crisis, offering to make its technical experts available to work jointly with the government.
Leader of the Opposition Dr Shafiqur Rahman made the proposal during a nearly 90-minute parliamentary discussion under Rule 68.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit said the government has prepared short-, medium- and long-term plans under the slogan “We Have a Plan”, targeting some relief by 2027, further improvement by 2028 and an end to the crisis by 2030.
He said gas demand currently stands at around 3,800 MMCFD against supply of 2,600 MMCFD. Drilling has started on 30 of 150 planned gas wells, with a target of adding 2,320 MMCFD to the national grid by 2031.
The government also plans new FSRUs and a land-based LNG terminal at Matarbari. For power generation, Tk 6,000 crore has been allocated to increase furnace oil-based generation, while a 660MW unit at the Rampal plant is expected to resume operations soon.
Shafiqur Rahman criticized the government’s measures, saying issues such as “ghost billing”, transparency and accountability remain unresolved. He also claimed that many rural areas face prolonged power outages.
Amit attributed the energy crisis partly to past policy failures, corruption and mismanagement, while Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the Gulf conflict has further aggravated the situation.
The opposition leader said his party was willing to let the government take full credit for any successful solution, stressing that its sole objective was to resolve the country’s power and energy crisis.
