US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena on Wednesday said he is still hopeful of a political settlement between the two major parties – Awami League and BNP – before the next general election, reports UNB.
“I’m still confident that at the end, major political players will find a way for free, fair and credible election,” he told reporters during a visit to the Summit Group’s 335 MW combined cycle power plant at Meghnaghat near the capital.
Mozena was accompanied by French Ambassador Michel Trinquier during the visit to the power plant.
Summit Group is implementing the project as its sponsor on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis. The government will purchase electricity from the plant for the next 22 years.
American company GE is a partner in the project and also the supplier of the gas generators, while the gas turbine of the project was delivered by GE’s factory in France.
Summit Group chairman Mohammed Aziz Khan said his project is nearly at the completion stage and power generation from the plant will start at the end of October or in early November.
Thanking Summit Group for successfully implementing one of the largest power plants in Bangladesh, the US ambassador said this has been the largest domestic investment in the power sector by a local company.
“This will help the country achieve its goal to become an Asian Tiger,” said Mozena, adding that in this project, Bangladeshi leadership had combined with American technology and that Chinese, French and Korean companies were working together.
Mozena said the US government has been working in partnership with the Bangladesh government for implementing sustainable energy for all projects.
French Ambassador Michel Trinquier said he was very glad to see a French company supplying equipment for the project.
