Former state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid has said that Bangladesh would regain uninterrupted electricity and gas supplies if Sheikh Hasina returned to lead the country.
Hamid made the claim while highlighting what he described as major changes in the power sector during the previous Awami League government. According to him, the expansion of electricity-generation capacity and the extension of power connections across the country had significantly improved access to electricity. He argued that people were now being deprived of the benefits of those achievements.
Referring to the Awami League’s 2008 election manifesto, known as the ‘Charter for Change’, Hamid said the party had pledged to bring the entire population under electricity coverage by 2021. He recalled that when the Awami League took office in 2009, more than half of the population did not have access to electricity, while some parts of the country experienced 18 to 20 hours of load-shedding a day.
According to Hamid, Bangladesh had an electricity-generation capacity of around 3,000 megawatts at that time. He said the figure subsequently rose to more than 33,000MW. Large power projects, including the 1,320MW Payra Thermal Power Plant as well as projects at Rampal and Matarbari, were also implemented during the period.
Hamid also pointed to the expansion of the national electricity network into remote areas. He said the government had completed the work of extending electricity to locations ranging from remote hill districts to isolated river islands by December 2021.
On 21 March 2022, Bangladesh was declared a fully electrified country during the inauguration of the Payra Thermal Power Plant. The declaration marked a major milestone in the government’s long-standing campaign to expand electricity access nationwide.
Hamid, who served as state minister for power, energy and mineral resources during Hasina’s tenure as prime minister, said he was grateful to have witnessed and contributed to what he described as important milestones in Bangladesh’s power sector.
He nevertheless criticised the present situation, claiming that people were once again being deprived of the comfort associated with expanded electricity access and reliable power supplies.
Hamid also accused the current BNP government of mismanagement, indecision and failure, alleging that these factors had contributed to increased load-shedding. No response from the government or relevant authorities to these allegations was included in the material provided.
He expressed hope that, if Hasina returned to office, uninterrupted electricity and gas supplies would be restored and Bangladesh would once again move forward on its development path.
Gas supply was also a significant part of Hamid’s responsibilities during his time in government. In January 2024, while still serving as state minister, he had said that the government was working towards ensuring uninterrupted gas supplies by 2026. At the time, he also said that adequate fuel supplies would allow power plants to operate according to their available capacity and help provide more consistent electricity.
Hamid’s latest remarks therefore link the previous government’s expansion of electricity infrastructure with his expectations for future energy security. His comments also come amid continuing political debate over the management of Bangladesh’s power and energy sectors, with electricity availability depending not only on installed generation capacity but also on fuel supplies, plant operations and the wider transmission and distribution system.
