Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Energy experts and environmental advocates have cautioned that Bangladesh’s growing reliance on imported fossil fuels and unchecked expansion of coal and LNGbased projects are threatening both economic stability and the ecosystem.

Speaking at an interactive session titled “Energy Expansion: Impact on Bangladesh’s Economy, Ecosystem and Fair Transition” held at Premier University in Chattogram recently, they also called for a swift transition to renewable sources.

The event was jointly organized by Dhara (Protect the Earth), Premier University, 350.org, and Waterkeepers Bangladesh, with the participation of youth climate activists, students, researchers, and civil society representatives.

Shafiqul Alam, lead analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), said Bangladesh’s energy mix remains highly vulnerable. “Around40%ofourtotal energy supply and over half of our electricity generation depend on imports. Yet, only 2% comes from renewable sources,” he said.

He added that Bangladesh’s global ranking in energy security, equity, and sustainability has slipped to 83rd, down from 77th two years ago.

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) recently approved a series of import proposals, including the purchase of one cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the spot market and fertilizer imports for a total of Tk 2,000 crore. LNG will be purchased from TotalEnergies Gas and Power Ltd, United Kingdom, according to a proposal by the Energy and Mineral Resources Division placed at the meeting.

The cargo is priced at Tk 485 crore at a unit rate of $11.54 per MMBtu.

Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan recently stressed the need for public awareness for sustainable development saying that citizens must adopt lifestyle changes and reduce overconsumption. ‘We must learn from our past mistakes and chart the course for our future,’ she said while addressing the ‘Bangladesh Sustainability Conclave 2025’ at the Dhaka North City C o r p o r a t i o n Auditorium in the capital.

She also emphasized the need for increased investment in food security, safe food, clean air, and safe water.

She said that it is urgent to formulate and implement time-befitting policies in these areas. ‘Bangladesh must transform into a beautiful, fertile, safe, and green country.

For that, we must move towards sustainability,’ said the adviser.

The government will provide funds from the public exchequer for setting up solar panels on the rooftops of all state-owned buildings, aiming to generate 2,000 -3,000 MW of electricity.

However, the state-owned entities, which generate their own income, will have to fund the installation of solar systems on their building rooftops using their own earnings, according to the National Rooftop Solar Implementation Guidelines.

According to the Renewable Energy Policy 2025, the government has set a target of meeting 20 per cent of the total electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030 and 30 per cent by 2040. Presently, only 5.6 per cent (1,563 MW) of the country’s total electricity is generated from renewable sources.

On the other hand, about 56 per cent of the country’s electricity is generated by using natural gas, the reserves of which are rapidly decreasing.

In this situation, the Power Division has formulated a “National Rooftop Solar Program” to ensure energy security and prioritize renewable energy, according to the guidelines.

The program received approval from the Advisory Council in June, targeting the generation of 2,000 MW to 3,000 MW of electricity across the country by utilizing the rooftops of governmentowned offices, hospitals, and educational institutions.

Under the initiative, all the government entities would install solar panels on the roofs of their respective buildings with funds to be provided by the government, officials said.

Ammonia and methanol are being promoted as low-carbon fuels and hydrogen carriers to support the global energy transition.

They are currently being evaluated as alternatives for clean shipping, power generation, and longdistance hydrogen transport.

However, despite strong interest, their large-scale adoption remains slow due to uncertainty in the demand outlook in a pricesensitive market, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s Strategic Intelligence report, ‘Ammonia and Methanol in Energy Transition,’ reveals that countries such as Japan, South Korea, China, and members of the European Union are backing low-carbon projects, while companies including Yara, Maersk, CF, and Mitsubishi are exploring large-scale investments to boost their production. Low-carbon ammonia capacity is estimated to grow to nearly 250 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2030, with more than 460 upcoming plants globally. Low-carbon methanol is projected to follow a similar path, with plant numbers approaching 150 by 2030. Yet many projects are in early stages of development, with some hydrogen-linked initiatives already seeing delays or cancellations.

The country’s falling gas production continues to plague the industries, seriously threatening exports and e m p l o y m e n t generation.

The interim government has hiked LNG imports to address the crisis, but the move is far from being enough.

The industry leaders are calling on the government to take urgent steps to mitigate the crisis, or else.

Even four years ago, the country’s daily gas production ranged between 2,300 and 2,400 million cubic feet. Now, it has fallen to only 1,700 million cubic feet per day on average, impacting vehicle refueling services, power stations, residents and industries.

According to Petrobangla, the daily demand is over 4,200 million cubic feet, but only 2,830 million cubic feet was produced recently.

The crisis is leaving industries with underutilized goods production capacity, which is increasing production cost and trimming export potentials.

Investors are also discouraged by the crisis, leading to reduced business growth and falling employment prospects.

Recently, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan met Mohammad Saiful Islam, secretary at the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, at the Secretariat.

There he placed five recommendations to alleviate the gas crisis.

Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant (2×660 MW) at Rampal, Bagerhat, a thermal Power plant of BIFPCL, set a new benchmark by generating 771.70 million units of electricity at a PLF of 78.58% in August 2025.

This is the highest monthly output since its commissioning, contributing 7.62% of Bangladesh’s total generation of 10,100 million units.

For the last three consecutive months, the plant has been consistently generating over 600 million units, totaling 2,036.4 million units. Despite reliance on imported fuel, its scale, efficiency, and consistent performance enable Bangladesh to access stable and comparatively affordable electricity, supporting industries, boosting investor confidence, and reducing the risk of supply disruptions.

The interim government is currently in talks with Saudi oil giant Aramco to ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to ensure cooperation in the energy sector.

State-run Petrobangla has already prepared a draft of the MoU, which is currently being vetted by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. “We are eyeing to ink the MoU with Aramco to ensure cooperation in the energy sector, especially for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG), refined petroleum products, etc,” said a senior Petrobangla official.

China said recently it had rejected a protest lodged by Japan over the development of gas fields in disputed waters of the East China Sea.

Tokyo’s foreign ministry said it had confirmed that Beijing was setting up drilling rigs in the area — where the two countries’ exclusive economic zones (EEZ) claims overlap.

It said it had “issued a strong protest” to the Chinese embassy. China’s foreign ministry said it did “not accept Japan’s groundless accusations and has rejected Japan’s socalled protest”.

A 2008 agreement saw Japan and China agree to jointly develop undersea gas reserves in the disputed area, with a ban on independent drilling by either country.

But negotiations over how to implement the deal were suspended in 2010.

Tokyo said 21 suspected drilling rigs had been positioned on Beijing’s side of the de facto maritime border, adding it was “extremely regrettable that China is advancing unilateral development”.

Standard Chartered Bangladesh, in collaboration with the international social-purpose organization Friendship, has launched an environmental initiative to provide clean energy, water, and climate resilience to the remote Notunchar Island in Kurigram. Notunchar, a sedimentary island located at the Northeastern point of Chilmari Upazila, remains disconnected from the national grid and basic infrastructure, including electricity, gas, and clean water, according to a press release issued by Standard Chartered Bangladesh recently.

Through this initiative, the island will be connected to a 70-kilowatt solar micro-grid, supported by a water treatment facility and a large-scale afforestation drive.

The solar plant, with an estimated energy output of 263 kilowatt-hours per day, will provide reliable power to 175 households, and multiple shops, schools, and religious institutions covering 875 beneficiaries.

Also, a water treatment plant – capable of supplying 60 liters of clean water per hour – will serve both the community’s drinking water needs and the solar grid’s maintenance requirements.