The Bangladesh Journal - Bangladesh proposes import of hydro-electricity from Bhutan

M Azizur Rahman : Bangladesh has formally made proposals to neighbouring Bhutan and India to import hydroelectricity from the Himalayan country. India has investments in power plants in Bhutan.

"I have sent the proposals to the power ministers of both Bhutan and India to get supply of hydroelectricity under the SAARC regional cooperation," Energy and Power Adviser Tapan Chowdhury told the newsmen at the Secretariat Thursday.

He said the proposals were sent to his Bhutanese and Indian counterparts in line with the discussions at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) energy ministers' conference held in March last in New Delhi.

Tapan Chowdhury, however, said that he was yet to get a formal response from the two countries.

Sources said during the meeting the energy ministers of the SAARC member countries agreed in principle to set up an energy ring to facilitate trade on power and address the electricity supply shortfall in this region.

The issue of electricity interconnectivity among the member countries was also discussed there.

Currently, only India has electricity connectivity with two SAARC member countries - Nepal and Bhutan.

Talking further on the issue, the energy adviser said Bhutan has huge hydroelectric potentials and the Indian territory needs to be utilised to get transmission of electricity from the Himalayan country.

While briefing the newsmen, Tapan Chowdhury also reiterated the government's intention to resume negotiation on the proposed tri-nation gas pipeline to carry Myanmar gas to India through Bangladesh territory.

"We want the tri-nation gas pipeline to have economically viable. If necessary, Bangladesh too can use it for carrying its own gas from one part to another in future," he said.

Responding to a query on the dispute over the reported encroachment of Bangladesh's sea territory by neighbouring India and Myanmar for hydrocarbon exploration, the Energy and Power Adviser said the country will certainly establish its legitimate claim over its territorial water.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will look into the issue, he added.

Tapan Chowdhury took note of the mounting load shedding despite the increase of electricity generation across the country.

"I have already asked the concerned officials of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and other relevant electricity utilities to look into the matter," he said.

The country's total electricity generation is now hovering around 3,500 megawatts (MW) compared to previous year's 2,800 MW, a senior Power Division official said.

The shop owners will have to be patient considering the existing electricity crisis, said the energy adviser pointing to the plea of the shop owners to let them keep their shops open until 8:00 pm in the evening hours instead of the current 7:00 pm.

He, however, said that as per the existing regulations the shop owners have no legal authority to keep their shops open beyond 8:00 pm.

The shop owners got their licences from the government with the commitment not to keep open their shops after 8:00 pm, he added.