National Citizen Party convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam blamed the BNP government’s alleged lack of planning and indecision over energy purchases for the current crisis. In a lengthy statement issued to the media on August 12, he listed six causes and presented 15 immediate, medium-term and long-term proposals. He alleged that moves toward private-sector involvement in fuel imports and power distribution were aimed at benefiting oligarchic business interests.

Nahid said the Energy and Mineral Resources Division gave Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation four days from August 6 to submit a draft policy on private imports, storage, transport, distribution and marketing of refined fuel. He also criticized the reduction of the international tender period for September-December fuel imports from 42 days to 10 days on July 28. Citing figures in his statement, he said load-shedding reached 3,757 megawatts on August 10, 41 power plants were shut, and electricity imports from India had nearly halved.

His proposals include suspending the privatization process, restoring the 42-day tender period, approving BPC’s purchase schedule, and publishing an independent investigation into the Maheshkhali FSRU fire. He also called for additional LNG terminals, investment and foreign partners for Bapex, and a roadmap for 10,000 megawatts of solar power by 2030.