Experts at a seminar in Dhaka on Sunday warned that Bangladesh’s power sector is under severe financial pressure due to overcapacity, import dependence, capacity charges, and subsidies. They called for integrated policy reforms, realistic planning, and greater focus on renewable energy to address the long-term energy crisis. The event, titled “Economic Burden of Bangladesh’s Power Sector: Policy Recommendations for Crisis Management,” was organized by the Mechanical Engineering Division of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Executive Chairman Ashiq Chowdhury said the energy sector is in a “minus position” due to financial constraints and past international agreements that limit new projects. He emphasized the need to expand solar and other renewable sources to reduce import dependence and economic strain. IEB President Mohammad Riazul Islam noted that years of mismanagement and waste have severely affected the gas sector, while Professor M. Rezwan Khan highlighted that excess generation capacity and costly imported fuels have created heavy fiscal burdens.

Speakers agreed that better project evaluation, domestic energy use, and renewable expansion are essential to reduce subsidies and strengthen the sector’s sustainability.