Govt moving towards renewable energy: Adviser Rashed

RAJBARI, Sept 12: The government will ensure a sustainable energy structure by 2034 as the country moves from fossil fuel to renewable energy, said Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Economic and Planning Adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

“We are moving from fossil fuel to renewable energy, and the energy structure will be ensured by 2034,” he said while exchanging views with journalists at his residence in Kalimohar Village of Rajbari on Friday evening.

He said the country could have avoided many of its current electricity problems if consumers had also been enabled to generate electricity, particularly through solar power.

“If we could have ensured that electricity consumers themselves became producers, we would not have faced such problems in the power sector,” he said.

The adviser said people and industries were suffering because of the ongoing energy crisis.

He blamed corruption and nepotism under previous governments for contributing to the current crisis, while the war in the Middle East had further aggravated the situation.

The government has already incurred losses of around Tk 20,000 crore by purchasing gas at higher prices, he said.

“We are making efforts to drill new gas wells soon because electricity can be generated easily and at a lower cost using gas,” Titumir said, adding that the government was considering drilling 150 wells.

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (Bapex) would be engaged in the initiative, he said, alleging that previous governments had failed to properly utilise the state-owned company because of nepotism.

Titumir also stressed the importance of proper management of the country’s water resources for agriculture and fisheries.

“If rivers have adequate water, agricultural and fisheries production can be maintained properly,” he said, adding that the government had pledged in its election manifesto to ensure proper use of the country’s water resources.

As part of that commitment, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the Padma Barrage project, he said.

The project will not only create a water reservoir but also generate electricity, he added.

“We need our rightful share of upstream water, but at the same time, we need proper planning for the management of our own water resources,” Titumir said.

He said Bangladesh had water-flow relations involving 54 international rivers and that the government’s approach would be guided by the principle of “Bangladesh first” and justice.

“We want to establish this on the basis of international law, ensuring water flow to downstream areas through internationally recognised mechanisms,” he said.

The government has already formed a technical team to negotiate water-sharing agreements and will soon inform India about the matter, Titumir added.