Staff Reporter :
Prime Minister’ energy adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury has said the government is working hard to establish new power plants in the country. Besides, it is also trying to import power from neighboring countries.
He made the comments while addressing a seminar on “Power System Development: Reliable Supply to
Customers’ Perspective” as the chief guest. Organized by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI),.it was attended by Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office Md Abul Kalam Azad as the special guest.
The energy adviser said at present 70 per cent people of the country has the access to electricity. He said system loss in the power sector is now less than 10 per cent and it is been reducing day by day. The private sector may think of establishing coal-based back up power plants in their industries, he said..
For exploring gas and oil in the Bay of Bengal, the government has already engaged Conoco Philips to explore in three blocks, he informed the seminar. He further informed that government was committed to work with the private sector to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the customers.
He called upon the researchers to BCSIR to do more research on how cooking can be done by using solar power. He said the government has recently passed National Energy Research Institute Act. He called upon the DCCI to work with this newly formed National Energy Research Institute.
DCCI President Hossain Khaled, who chaired the Seminar, said to keep uninterrupted production in industries we have to ensure uninterrupted power supply. He said that the government should plan for establishing load-based power plants for more efficiency.
Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi said like many countries we may establish solar power panel on rivers and lakes for irrigation and it will save our valuable cultivable lands. He also said that we can popularize power generation from waste.
Abul Kalam Azad called upon the businessmen to establish their industries in the EPZ areas to get uninterrupted power supply along with other facilities. He also informed that government was planning to establish more export processing zones in the country by the next 3-4 years.
He also called upon the business community to come forward in setting up economic zones in private sector. He urged the industrialists to use renewable energy besides general electricity. He also urged the businessmen to get one stop service facility of the Board of Investment.
Former Chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) ASM Alamgir Kabir, Chief Engineer of BPDB Md. Mizanur Rahman and General Manager of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Ltd. Arun Kumar Saha presented three key note papers. In their presentation, they highlighted that by the year 2021 our demand of electricity will reach up to 18,445 megawatt.
They also stressed the need for easing tariff structure, establishing coal-based power plants, operating regular maintenance and reliable supply to customers.
DCCI Directors AKD Khair Mohammad Khan, Alhaj Abdus Salam, Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, Nessar Maksud Khan, former DCCI Presidents R Maksud Khan, Matiur Rahman, Convenors Selim Akhtar Khan, Syed Almas Kabir, Md. Nasir Uddin A Ferdaus, former Directors Khairul Majid Mahmud, Major Yead Ali Fakir and Additional MD of The City Bank Mohammad Mohsin took part in the open discussion session.
