The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has questioned whether the interim government rushed the draft Energy and Power Sector Master Plan, warning that it could signal a reversal of Bangladesh’s energy transition and may have been prepared in the interest of specific countries.
The think tank shared its initial reaction to the draft Energy and Power Master Plan (2026–2050) at a press conference on Thursday at its Dhanmondi office in Dhaka.
CPD Research Director Khondaker Golam Moazzem said the organization was unaware that such a draft had already been submitted to the Chief Adviser, calling the situation “embarrassing” for CPD.
“Everyone knows the kind of discriminatory environment under which CPD had to operate during the previous government. Under the current government, we were working with some degree of cooperation. In that context, a draft master plan on energy and power has been submitted without our knowledge,” he said.
Moazzem criticized the preparation of the draft without consultation or expert input, alleging that ministry officials completed the process in secrecy—an approach he said resembled practices under the previous government.
He questioned why renewable energy was not adequately reflected in the draft’s mission and vision, why domestic coal was being prioritized in the name of resource optimization, and why carbon-emitting fuels were included under the label of solar energy.
According to Moazzem, the draft projects electricity demand at 60,000MW by 2050, while CPD’s analysis suggests demand would not exceed 30,000MW. He also raised concerns over the plan’s emphasis on large-scale investment in liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure.
“In the previous master plan, the estimated cost for LNG infrastructure was $3.9 billion. In this draft, it has increased to $27 billion,” he said.
Moazzem said such master plans are not merely economic documents but political economy documents, often involving compromises and concessions.
He added that CPD believes the draft reflects pressure from vested interest groups and suggested the interim government may have made concessions in certain areas.
Moazzem also noted that the government is reportedly moving towards signing two major agreements, including an Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan on February 6 and a similar agreement with the United States.
“We have indications that significant commitments have been sought from Bangladesh on energy-related issues by both countries. Therefore, it would not be unreasonable to assume that these agreements or countries have influenced the preparation of this draft master plan,” he said.
