Fisheries and livestock affairs adviser Farida Akhter has said that the government is committed to keeping electricity prices stable for citizens, even if it requires providing subsidies.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the CAB Youth Parliament 2025 organised by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh at Dhaka University on Saturday, she said that the government spent around Tk 400 crore annually in subsidies to maintain reasonable electricity prices.
鈥楽ometimes we do not even realise how easily Tk 400 crore gets spent. But when it comes to public welfare, the amount of money should not be the main concern,鈥� she said.
Farida added that discussions were already under way with the finance ministry and other relevant ministries on the issue and once the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission gave its approval, the process would move forward smoothly.
Highlighting inequality in the power sector, she pointed out that despite having a 220-megawatt hydropower plant in Rangamati, local residents hardly benefitted from it.
鈥楧uring summer, Rangamati needs about 40MW of power and 30MW in winter, but even that is not ensured. The area faces 5鈥�6 power cuts a day. In Dhaka, lower-income areas face frequent load-shedding, while affluent neighbourhoods remain unaffected. This is a clear example of injustice in the power sector,鈥� she added.
Criticising corporate dominance, Farida said, 鈥楾he power sector has turned into a space of limitless corporate oligarchy.鈥�
On the topic of renewable energy and carbon emissions, she said, 鈥楾he global commitment to achieving 鈥渘et zero carbon emission鈥� made at the COP summits is a form of deception by wealthy nations.鈥�
The word 鈥榥et鈥� before zero is a clever trick. Countries like Bangladesh contribute negligibly to global emissions, yet the big nations have no real intention to reduce their own, she said.
CAB president AHM Shafiquzzaman termed the power sector鈥檚 indemnity law a 鈥榙ark law鈥�, saying, 鈥業t has legitimised widespread corruption.鈥�
鈥業f political parties promising to repeal this law fail to do so after coming to power, CAB will hold them accountable,鈥� he warned.
He also stressed the need for ensuring that special government loans and facilities reach genuine fishermen and farmers to stabilise the market.
