Since the period of British domination in the Indian subcontinent, the landmass now forming Bangladesh has been influenced by the prevailing energy policy of India. Coal was the mainstay of energy input for different sectors of the economy, a trend that continued unabated during the Pakistan period and carried into the energy scenario of Bangladesh.
it was only in the mid-1970s that natural gas, available in the country, became the principal source of power, partly for electricity generation and also for industrial purposes.
incidentally, during this period, natural gas became a globally popular fuel compared to petroleum, drawing worldwide attention. Bangladesh, as a prominent source of sweet natural gas, secured a significant place on the regional energy map. From 1980 to 2000, natural gas remained the principal fuel in the country and climbed steadily to the top of the fuel utilization chart. However, as signs of depletion appeared from geological explorations, the lack of replenishing exhausted gas fields became alarming. With little prospect of discovering worldclass reserves to ensure a secure energy future, policymakers are haunted by the constant fear of unexpected blackouts due to insufficient gas for power stations. Bangladesh has small deposits of very high-quality, sulfur-free coal in the northern region of the country, though most lie at considerable depth.
these deposits could be exploited through underground mining, though in only one or two areas, open-cast mining might be possible.
to date, only a small part of these reserves is being utilized through underground mining to fuel a 300 MW coal-based power station.
energy policy in Bangladesh has long been influenced by global and regional politics. Continued reliance on importing costly coal, gas, LPG, or LNG would be increasingly risky and unsustainable, particularly given the volatile politicalclimate of the region and the strain of securing hard-earned foreign currency for payments. While exploration for oil and gas must continue-especially in unexplored onshore and offshore areas, including newly acquired deep-sea blocks-equal emphasis must be placed on renewable energy to ensure energy sovereignty. Among various renewable options such as solar, wind, tidal, hydro, and riverine sources, the kinetic energy of international rivers flowing into Bangladesh before reaching the Bay of Bengal may offer the most promising and permanent solution to the country’s energy challenges. Hydrokinetic energy devices harness the kinetic energy of flowing water to generate electricity.
these include tidal stream generators, free-flow turbines in rivers and streams, and ocean current turbines. Such devices operate by capturing natural water movements-tides, river currents, and ocean currents-through turbines or similar mechanisms that convert kinetic energy into electricity. Hydrokinetic technology holds significant promise for expanding renewable energy portfolios and is especially suitable for sustainable, round-the-clock power generation in areas with poor grid access.
although hydrokinetic energy has existed for centuries, it has been largely ignored. Land requirements pose major challenges for solar and wind projects, but water-based installations, particularly in canals and rivers, avoid this issue since waterways are already government-owned.
this approach could also create large-scale employment opportunities for rural populations in system maintenance.
as a riverine country, Bangladesh has immense potential to generate hydroelectric power from both major rivers and smaller waterways. Riverbank erosion, however, is one of Bangladesh’s most devastating disasters due to its massive impact on lives and property. Approximately 20 of the country’s 64 districts are highly susceptible, with about 8,700 hectares of land lost annually.
each year, some 200,000 people lose their homesteads or farmland.
the Jamuna River-one of the world’s largest braided rivers-experiences particularly severe erosion, displacing countless families and swallowing vast tracts of land. From 1973 to 2014, the Ganges, Jamuna, Padma, and Lower Meghna rivers eroded 182,000 hectares, while accretion added only 80,000 hectares-leaving a net erosion of 102,000 hectares, more than double the gain.
unlike fires, which leave the possibility of rebuilding, erosion represents complete annihilation, leaving families destitute with no trace of their homes or land.
authorities have tried to control erosion using hard structures such as groynes, spurs, revetments, and embankments. Yet, these methods have largely failed and sometimes worsened the problem. Harvard professor Peter Rogers concluded that ‘the physical force of Bengal rivers is so great that no amount of engineering works can withstand it’ and warned that embankment-based flood protection would likely lead to ‘waste and disappointment.’ Experience shows that Bangladeshi rivers require different solutions than those applied in Western contexts. Harnessing river kinetic energy offers such a solution. By generating electricity through hydrokinetic devices at strategic points along river flows, the velocity of water can be regulated, reducing opportunities for riverbank erosion. Similarly, controlled flow could direct sedimentation-including heavy minerals and potentially rare earth elements-to predetermined areas, improving resource recovery while reducing siltation problems.
thus, river current energy could simultaneously address erosion, improve navigation, provide irrigation, and generate affordable electricity nationwide.
the primary destructive force of rivers is their unregulated flow. Yet this very force has never been harnessed in Bangladesh, aside from the topographically unique Kaptai hydroelectric project.
advances in turbine design now allow even small amounts of energy input to produce significant electricity outputs from river currents.
this opportunity should be studied by experts and international companies specializing in water turbines. Projects combining barrages, dams, pumped storage, and hydrokinetic turbines could regulate water currents, reduce erosion, improve siltation control, aid navigation, and provide irrigation systems. Moreover, controlled sand deposition could allow for quality forecasting and scientific placer mining of sands and heavy minerals, offering potential for both domestic use and export. Historically, Bangladesh’s water resources have been limited to irrigation and transport.
abundant natural gas made it unnecessary to consider alternatives for decades. But with fast-depleting reserves, no new discoveries, and growing global restrictions on fossil fuels, the country must now explore renewable alternatives. Among these, flowing water presents the most practical and locally available option, free from the risks of fuel importsA specialized center should be established to conduct a comprehensive technoeconomic feasibility study on harnessing river kinetic energy for electricity generation in Bangladesh.
this center would need multidisciplinary expertise in hydrogeology, hydrology, river morphology, and related fields.
it should study historical and current river behavior, the impact of major bridges, lessons from the Kaptai project, and integration with the national grid. International turbine manufacturers with expertise in hydrokinetic technology should also play a key role. Such an independent center, under the Energy Division, would need strong political and institutional backing, as well as collaboration with international experts. With the right vision, river currents could be transformed from a destructive force into a cornerstone of Bangladesh’s energy sovereignty and sustainable development.
on completion of the feasibility studies and after due diligence on the results and findings, and after threadbare examination of the outcome of the studies by a Third-party professional consulting team, the project, if it merits further engagements, would be taken up for implementation either in the form of: As a riverine country, Bangladesh has considerable potential for hydro power generation from major rivers and smaller waterways. Small hydro is not small.
it is a sleeping giant as yet. Let us wake it up together, It’s time has come