Former State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has issued a sharp response to remarks made by the current Power Minister, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, who claimed that no development had occurred in the power and energy sector over the past 17 years. In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Nasrul Hamid questioned how a responsible government minister could make such assertions regarding the country’s economic history and its power sector milestones.
Comparing the economic indicators of both eras, Nasrul Hamid noted that when the BNP-Jamaat alliance government left office in 2006, Bangladesh’s economy stood at 71.8 billion US dollars, with a per capita GDP of approximately 490 US dollars. By contrast, by the end of the Awami League administration in 2024, the nation’s GDP had surpassed 450 billion US dollars, with per capita income reaching nearly 2,800 US dollars. He emphasised that under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina over the past decade and a half, the national economy expanded exponentially, elevating Bangladesh into the ranks of developing nations.
Attributing this economic transformation directly to infrastructure development, the former state minister described power and energy as the driving force of the national economy. He highlighted that reliable electricity and fuel supplies fostered the establishment of new industrial units, boosted readymade garment production and exports, and accelerated the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises across the country.
Detailing his party’s governance record, Nasrul Hamid stated that 100 per cent electricity coverage was achieved nationwide, alongside a multifold increase in total power generation capacity. Initiatives were also undertaken to boost domestic gas production and import Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to maintain a steady supply of energy for both industrial units and residential households.
Turning to Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku’s previous tenure as State Minister for Power between 2001 and 2006, Nasrul Hamid pointed out that the country endured 16 to 18 hours of daily power cuts at the time. He recalled how citizens were forced onto the streets to demand basic electricity, citing the tragic 2006 Kansat power protests in which nearly 30 people lost their lives following firing by police and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).
He also referenced the widespread public controversy surrounding the electric pole—or ‘khamba’—business during the BNP tenure, where poles were erected without actual electricity generation. Nasrul Hamid advised the current minister to review his own track record before issuing political statements aimed at discrediting past progress.
Concluding his statement, the former minister remarked that history cannot be erased by political rhetoric. Denying the achievements of others to mask past failures does not alter reality, he noted, adding that the public remains well aware of who delivered electricity and whose administration opened fire on citizens demanding it.
