Bangladesh’s Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, stated that energy security has become a major challenge amid the current global situation. Speaking on Monday at a workshop titled “Voice of Development: Bridging Dialogues, Policies and Partnerships for Sustainable Development” at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center, he emphasized the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and expand renewable energy, particularly solar power in rural areas. He noted that NGOs could play a key role by installing rooftop solar panels and using net metering to collect payments.

The minister said that fossil fuel imports have become increasingly difficult, with the government spending about USD 2 billion in two months on energy imports, putting pressure on foreign reserves. He highlighted growing gas shortages and reliance on imported LNG, whose prices are also rising. The government is providing large subsidies to the energy sector, which he described as unsustainable for the long term.

Tuku added that the government plans to raise solar power generation to 10,000 megawatts during its current term, reducing import dependency and saving funds for other development sectors.