Individuals and companies accused of large-scale corruption in Bangladesh’s power sector continue to evade accountability nearly two years after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. Despite the interim administration led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus repealing the indemnity law for the energy sector and exposing years of irregularities, no punitive action has been taken. Huge sums of money allegedly laundered abroad remain unrecovered, while the sector still pays high capacity charges to private power producers.

The report details how politically connected business groups, including Summit and Orion, received billions of taka in payments for idle or underperforming plants. The Power Development Board (PDB) admits it cannot easily terminate contracts without risking legal disputes. Current Power Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud said the government is reviewing legal options to recover stolen funds and end exploitative capacity charge arrangements.

According to official data cited, over 100,000 crore taka was paid in capacity charges between 2008 and 2024, with most private plants operating far below licensed capacity. The sector remains financially strained, with unpaid loans exceeding 149,000 crore taka and ongoing pressure to raise electricity prices.