Bangladesh News

Bangladesh is unlikely to respond positively to an offer for the import of electricity from the Indian State of Tripura because of high tariff rate.

India recently offered to sell electricity to Bangladesh from a 4,000MW power plant being built in Tripura.

About the Indian offer, Power and Energy Adviser Tapan Chowdhury, speaking at the concluding session of the 16th Indo-Bangladesh Dialogue in the city, said the power tariff of the proposed plant is about 7 rupees (about Tk 11) per unit, which is very high from Bangladesh perspective.

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organised the dialogue at Brac Inn with its Chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan in the chair.

Tapan Chowdhury said due to high tariff rate it will not be viable for Bangladesh to import electricity from the Indian plant.

Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakrabarti, however, said the tariff offer is negotiable and Bangladesh can negotiate the power price.

Identifying the mistrust as the main obstacle to the promotion of relations between the two neighbouring countries, the adviser said the private sector has to come forward to remove the roadblocks.

“We need to involve the private sector of the two countries in any initiative… Nothing can move forward without support of the private sector,” he told the function.

Responding to a query from the audience, Tapan Chowdhury said Saarc Food Security Bank was established about 20 years ago, but it was just in paper, not in function.

Prof Rehman Sobhan in his remarks pointed out that a 4,000MW power plant is being implemented under the joint venture of private and public sectors.

As Bangladesh is facing severe power shortages, it can import electricity from the project.

Indian MP from Orissa MAK Swain, who belongs to BJP, said there is mistrust because Bangladesh people feel India is doing something secretly, which will be disastrous for Bangladesh.

He cited Farakka Barrage project, a bone of contention between the two next-door neighbours.

On the other hand, the Indian people felt that Bangladesh is not giving proper honour to the sacrifice made by the Indian soldiers during the Liberation War.

“But, now, India started realising that without prosperous neighbour, its dream to become a superpower by 2025 will not be achieved… that’s why we’re supporting neighbour’s development.”

Former Jatiya Party lawmaker GM Quader said Dhaka-Kolkata train service is now facing problem on the question of security.

“But what should get priority–is it security or the benefit of the people of the two countries?…if it is the benefit of the people, the governments of both the countries should resolve the issue as soon as possible,” he said.

Former Indian high commissioners to Bangladesh Muchkund Dubey and Deb Mukherjee, AMA Muhit and CPD Executive Director Prof Mustafizur Rahman, among others, took part in the dialogue.