A parliamentary standing committee has sought detailed information on electricity generated by rooftop solar systems and supplied to the national grid, questioning the government’s progress towards its target of adding 4,000MW of rooftop solar power by February next year.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources made the recommendation at its first meeting at the National Parliament on Saturday, asking the ministry to provide a detailed account of monthly progress, project costs and imports of solar panels and inverters at its next meeting.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, committee member Hasnat Abdullah said the ministry’s data showed that only 60MW of rooftop solar power had been added to the grid over the past 30 days, despite the 4,000MW target.
At this rate, only 720MW would be added by February, he said, adding that the committee had sought details of the monthly progress and letters of credit opened for importing solar panels and inverters.
The committee also questioned the cost of rooftop solar projects. Hasnat said a 50MW project should cost around Tk 150 crore, while the ministry had estimated the cost of a project of that capacity at more than Tk 350 crore. It asked the ministry to provide a detailed breakdown of the costs of individual projects.
According to the parliamentary secretariat, the meeting was informed that the Power Division had 41 ongoing development projects under the Annual Development Program for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
The projects have allocations of Tk 10,653 crore in project assistance, Tk 4,071.39 crore from government funds and Tk 3,381.80 crore from agencies’ own resources.
The meeting was also informed that the country’s gas-fired power generation capacity stood at 12,022MW, while actual generation ranged between 4,000MW and 5,000MW.
Coal-fired generation capacity was 6,927MW, with actual output ranging from 5,000MW to 6,000MW. Liquid-fuel-based plants had a capacity of 6,409MW but generated between 2,500MW and 3,000MW.
The committee was told that consumers installing rooftop solar systems by February 28, 2027, would receive Tk 10.50 per unit for surplus electricity supplied to the national grid until February 28, 2030.
Committee member and Jamaat-e-Islami MP Nazibur Rahman said the ministry had acknowledged mismanagement, corruption and a lack of planning behind the country’s power and energy crisis during its presentation.
However, he said, the ministry had failed to provide updates on the implementation of recommendations made by an earlier inquiry committee into capacity payments.
He said a committee led by a judge had been formed following a High Court verdict on capacity charges. The parliamentary committee wanted to know what recommendations the inquiry body had made and what steps had been taken to implement them.
Nazibur also questioned the absence of regulations governing public hearings for energy price determination by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC).
He said Section 34 of the 2003 law provided for price determination through public hearings and the formulation of relevant regulations, but the process had not been implemented in 23 years.
The committee also sought clarification on whether public hearings had been held before setting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices and the recent increase in fuel prices.
Nazibur said global energy market disruptions were being compounded by domestic mismanagement and poor planning. He called for accountability in spot-market fuel purchases at high prices and urged the government to prevent businesses from exploiting the crisis.
He also demanded a clear timetable for drilling planned gas wells, expanding domestic exploration and accelerating offshore gas exploration.
Hasnat Abdullah, meanwhile, called for a forensic audit of Tk 2.89 lakh crore paid in capacity charges in the power sector.
He said the country had an electricity generation capacity of 29,000MW, but actual generation was around 14,125MW. The payments made under the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provisions) Act 2010 should be examined through a forensic audit, he said.
Capacity payments, subsidies and overhauling charges beyond actual requirements were placing pressure on the economy, Hasnat added.
He also raised concerns over diesel stocks, which he said were sufficient for only 31 days. As rural agriculture, transport and economic activities depend heavily on diesel, he said the committee had sought a plan to increase reserves and prevent supply disruptions.
On LPG prices, Hasnat alleged that weak government monitoring had allowed market prices to rise far above the official rate.
Although the government-set price was around Tk 1,800 per cylinder, consumers were paying Tk 2,500 to Tk 2,600, he said.
The committee also sought an explanation for plans to establish new LNG and coal-fired power plants in Maheshkhali and Payra, saying such projects could undermine efforts to reduce dependence on imported energy.
It asked the ministry to provide projections for power generation capacity and peak demand in 2030, the expected shares of gas, coal, solar and nuclear power, and a timeline for shutting down idle oil-fired plants.
The committee also sought clarification on reports that 32 gas wells had been drilled within a short period, asking the ministry to distinguish between exploration and development wells.
Hasnat further raised concerns over excessive and allegedly fictitious electricity bills, saying some consumers had received bills ranging from Tk 3 crore to Tk 7 crore.
Nazibur said the ministry’s officials had not arrived at the first meeting with adequate information and preparation. He said committee members would submit their questions in advance to enable officials to provide detailed answers at the next meeting.
The meeting was chaired by committee chairman Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu and attended by Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, State Minister Aninda Islam Amit and other committee members.
The committee said its aim was to ensure ministerial accountability and make parliamentary oversight effective.