Bangladesh’s Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, told Parliament that contracts with private power companies cannot be canceled at will because they include sovereign guarantees. He made the statement on Wednesday during the parliamentary question-and-answer session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, responding to a supplementary question from MP Mardia Momtaz. The minister explained that canceling such guarantees is a time-consuming process and that discussions are ongoing with the concerned parties to reduce additional fees related to delayed payments.

He added that once a power plant begins production, immediate decisions cannot be made to alter operations, and efforts will continue to keep electricity prices affordable for consumers during the contract period. In response to other parliamentary questions, the minister reported that gas supply remains below demand, with 2,700 million cubic feet supplied daily against a demand of 3,800 million. He also shared updated figures on transmission and distribution losses and confirmed that no quick rental power plants are currently operational.

The minister expressed hope that ongoing discussions would lead to effective solutions regarding payment delays and cost management in the power sector.