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Bangladesh to sign PPA with Indian companies to purchase 500 MW electricity from Nepal
Bangladesh is going to sign a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Indian companies GMR Karnali Hydropower Company Limited and NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) to buy 500 MW of electricity.
In the joint steering committee (JSC) meeting between the two countries held last Thursday, the Bangladeshi side expressed its commitment to sign a PPA with the Indian companies, according to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation of Nepal, as reported by Kathmandu-based news portal Urja Khabar.
The signing is expected to take place within the month of September, that features the visit of the Bangladesh prime minister to Delhi.
The PPA is sought to be a strategic move to carry out cross-border energy trade between Nepal and Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been consistently expressing its interest in purchasing electricity from Nepal.
Bangladesh industry insiders said the import of 500 MW of electricity will be an addition to the country’s current generation capacity of over 25,000 MW of which more than 40 percent remains unutilized, while the power utilities have to resort to about 2000 MW of loadshedding daily under a rationing programme due to shortage of primary fuel.
Also read: Power supply situation now better than last month: Nasrul Hamid
They also said although Bangladesh will import electricity from Nepal, it has to sign PPA with two Indian companies as the Indian generation company GMR will generate electricity from Nepal while the NVVN will supply it through Indian territory.
As per a bilateral arrangement between Dhaka and New Delhi, if Bangladesh wants to import power that will come from Indian territory, it has to purchase it from an Indian company, they said.
GMR Karnali Hydropower Company Limited is a subsidiary of the New Delhi-based GMR Group while NVVN is a power trading in the country formed by Indian state-owned NTPC Ltd in the year 2002.
It may be mentioned that the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCPP) in a meeting in December 2019 approved the proposal of the Power Division to import 500MW electricity from the Indian company’s power plant in Nepal.
The bulk electricity will be imported through Indian company NVVN complying with the Indian regulatory commission’s terms and conditions.
As per the proposal, Bangladesh will import the electricity from Indian firm GMR at a tariff rate of $7.7172 (equivalent to Tk 7.36 if current US dollar rate is considered at Tk 95.49) per kilowatt hour (each unit) for over a period of 25 years.
For the import, the government will have to pay a total amount of over Tk 40,000 crore to GMR through NVVN over the period, said the Power Division sources.
Under the Power and Energy Increase of Speedy Supply Act (SPA) 2018, now the BPDB will sign power sales agreement with the NVVN to import the electricity from the GMR.
The Nepalese news portal reports that the Thursday meeting also reached a five-point bilateral consensus on energy cooperation between the two countries.
The discussion has pointed out the possibility that Bangladesh could utilize the unexploited capacity of its high voltage direct current structure at Veramara power plant to import 40-50 MW of electricity from Nepal in the initial phase.
With this possibility in place, the energy authorities of the two countries, Nepal Electricity Authority and Bangladesh Power Development Board will be requesting the Indian NVVN to sign a trilateral PPA.
Also read: Office timing rescheduled for 8:00am to 3:00pm to save electricity
Similarly, Nepal will be providing the environmental assessment report of 683 MW Sunkoshi-3 Hydropower Project to Bangladesh. In this regard, Bangladesh has consented to come up with necessary comments over the report soon to expedite forming a joint team to take forward the project construction.
Nepal and Bangladesh would like to initiate a trilateral agreement with India to construct a dedicated transmission line on the Indian land, prepare an agreement draft for cooperation in renewable energy including solar home systems, collaborate on providing training and make a future guideline for bilateral capacity building, according to the clauses that the two countries consented to in Thursday's meeting, reports the Urja Khabar.
BB Governor rules out lifting interest rate cap
Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder on Saturday said it is not possible to lift the interest rate cap on bank lending (9 percent) in the current situation.
He said this while speaking at a program at the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) held in Mirpur in the capital.
Abdur Rouf Talukder said the entire world is now facing a challenge and Bangladesh is no different. In this situation, it is not possible to raise the cap, as many economists have advised to tackle inflation, in line with most central banks around the world that are fighting inflation.
During a highly anticipated speech at the annual Jackson Hole conference in Wyoming on Friday, Jerome Powell, the chair of the US Federal Reserve, America's central bank, said they must continue to raise interest rates to stop inflation from becoming "a permanent aspect of the US economy."
Read: The first Bangladeshi ship carrying jhut leaves for India
"Reducing inflation is likely to require a sustained period of below-trend growth," Powell said at the meeting.
Policymakers in Bangladesh however, seem to be banking on the wealth effects of growth to beat out the depreciating effect of inflation.
“If it happens (the cap is raised), the private sector will suffer. The overall supply chain will be disrupted. At the moment, there is no decision on lifting the lending cap,” the governor said.
“After taking charge as the governor of the central bank, I spoke to the bank chairmen, managing directors, and chief executives. I have wanted to know the problems and possibilities of the country's banking sector from them,” he added.
The BB governor hints that there is a dollar crisis and inflation problem, but both would last no longer than 2-3 months.
President summons Parliament session on Sunday
The 19th session of the 11th Parliament will begin at 5 pm on Sunday where the new deputy Speaker will be elected.
President Md Abdul Hamid convened the session exercising the power bestowed upon him as per the Clause (1) of Article 72 of the constitution.
On 30 June, the eighteenth session of 11th Parliament was prorogued after 20 sittings.
The new deputy Speaker will be elected on the first day of this session. Before the start of the Parliament session at 4 pm, the duration of the session and other functions will be decided in the business advisory committee meeting. The business of the day will start with the nomination of the panel chairmen followed by the election of the new deputy Speaker.
In this case, an MP will place the name of the new deputy Speaker, which will be supported by another MP. The Speaker will then put the proposal on vote.
Generally, the Chief Whip of the Parliament places the proposal while another whip or senior member supportes it. According to the rules, if the post of Speaker or deputy Speaker becomes vacant, there is a provision for election within seven days if the Parliament is in session at that time.
And if the Parliament is not in the session, there is an obligation to elect on the first day of the next session.
Read: AL hails EC decision to use EVMs in 150 JS seats in next polls
That is why the deputy Speaker will be elected at the beginning of Sunday's proceedings. Fazle Rabbi Miah, tgen deputy speaker, passed away on July 22 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, USA, while undergoing treatment.
His death left the post of deputy Speaker and Gaibandha-5 seat vacant. The new deputy Speaker will be sworn in by the President Hamid at 7pm.
According to the sources, this oath will be taken in the President's chamber in the Parliament building. After the election of the deputy Speaker, the Speaker will move the condolence motion on Fazle Rabbi Miah.
According to custom, the session will be adjourned after the discussion on the condolence motion. In this session as well, all the employees of the parliament secretariat, including the members of Parliament, are being tested for coronavirus. Three bills have been prepared to be placed in the upcoming session. These are the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bill, the Public Service (Amendment) Bill and the Universal Pensions Management Bill.
CAAB trolleyman held with Tk32 lakh gold at Chattogram airport
A trolleyman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) was detained with four gold bars worth Tk32 lakh at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram Saturday, authorities said.
The detainee was identified as Md Ismail of Hathazari upazila.
Read: Man held with Tk. 1.8 crore worth gold
On information, Ismail was held at the parking area of the airport around 10:30am, Wing Commander M Farhad Hossain Khan, director of Shah Amanat Airport, said.
The gold bars were seized from the bags he was carrying on his trolley, he added. "Legal actions will be taken against Ismail."
Dengue: 131 new cases reported
One hundred and thirty-one more people were hospitalised with dengue – a viral infection – in the 24 hours to Saturday morning.
One hundred and nine new patients were admitted to the hospitals of Dhaka and 22 outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Five hundred and eighty-six dengue patients, including 485 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
This year's death toll from the mosquito-borne viral disease rose to 19 Sunday with one more death reported from Dhaka. Of all the deceased, 10 were from Cox's Bazar and nine from Dhaka.
Read: Dengue: 68 more patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
On June 21, the DGHS reported the first death of the season from the viral disease.
This year, the directorate has recorded 5,316 dengue cases and 4,711 recoveries so far.
Bangladesh sees two more Covid deaths, 156 cases
Two more people died from Covid, and 156 tested positive for the virus in Bangladesh in the 24 hours to Saturday morning.
While the country's total fatalities reached 29,323, the new number took its caseload to 2,011,100, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case test positivity rate rose to 4.26 from Friday's 4.15 percent as 3,663 samples were tested.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.46 percent and the recovery rate at 97.22 percent.
Read: Bangladesh reports another Covid death, 196 cases in 24 hrs
In July, the country reported 142 Covid-linked deaths and 31,422 cases, the highest monthly death toll and caseload since March this year.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
Govt out to legitimise human rights violators by including IGP for UN police summit: BNP
BNP on Saturday accused the government of trying to give legitimacy to all the human rights violators by including Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed in Bangladesh's delegation to join the United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit in New York.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office, party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also alleged that the government's "irresponsible" and "arrogant" behaviour is putting the country's international relations at risk.
"The 'illegal' Awami League government has tried to give legitimacy to all the human rights violators by including Benazir Ahmed, one of those who gave the order for committing terrible human rights violation activities like enforced disappearances, murders and extrajudicial killings against opposition leaders and activists, in the list (of the UN delegation members)," the BNP leader said.
The IGP has been named in the Bangladesh delegation for the two-day Police Summit scheduled to begin on August 31 despite the US sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and its seven current and former officials, including Benazir, for "gross human rights violations" by "indulging in enforced disappearances, murders and extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh," he added.
The BNP leader said the government has demonstrated that it would continue its atrocities against humanity, ignoring the international community, by including an internationally identified "criminal" as a representative of its delegation for the UN summit.
The government itself has to take the responsibility for this irresponsible, fascist and imprudent decision, he added.
"Confusion has arisen among the public as the US granted a conditional visa to IGP Benazir Ahmed to attend the summit. The Bangladesh government deliberately tarnished the image of the country by providing such a delegation list to the UN," the BNP leader said.
The IGP cannot join any other activity except for the specific UN summit as the US issued a conditional visa, he added. "We think that issuing visas, subject to such conditions, is an insult to Bangladesh."
Benazir reportedly received the US visa on Thursday to join the summit as one of the six members of the Bangladesh delegation, led by Home Minister Asaduzzam Khan. The delegation is scheduled to leave Dhaka for the USA on Sunday night.
Read: AL govt’s fall is now only goal of BNP: Fakhrul
The UNCOPS 2022 will bring together ministers, chiefs of police, and senior representatives of regional and professional policing organisations at the UN Headquarters.
In December last year, the US imposed sanctions on seven former and current officials, including Benazir, of Rab on charge of grave human rights violations. Benazir served as the director general of Rab before becoming the country's police chief.
Fakhrul alleged that many leaders and activists of their party were made to disappear, killed in crossfire, arrested and tortured without trial.
"There is no democratic atmosphere in the country now. There is no right to hold political meetings. The media has been forced to exercise self-censorship," he said.
About their ongoing movement across the country from August 22 in protest against the increase in the prices of fuel and daily necessities and power outage, Fakhrul said their party leaders and activists were attacked in more than 50 places and 300 of them were injured.
Police arrested over 200 BNP leaders and activists while around 2,000 others were accused in different political cases, he added.
Asked whether BNP will back off from the movement in face of attacks and obstacles, Fakhrul said, "There is no reason to do so. We started the movement with the goal to remove this terrible, monstrous regime and establish a democratic system."
"We think the victory of the people is inevitable in the path of truth and justice."
US sanctions on law enforcement officials lack specific info: Home Minister
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said that the United States has imposed sanctions on some Bangladeshi law enforcement officials without any specific information.
The minister said this after attending a conference at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on Saturday noon.
“People say a lot of things. No one believes in something lacks proper information and proof. Such is the case with the US sanctions,” said Kamal.
Kamal added that UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet didn’t raise any concern about the country’s human rights situation during her recent visit.
“We had a long discussion with Bachelet. We provided detailed answers to some of her questions regarding our human rights issues. We even answered her questions about enforced disappearance through a video presentation. After watching the video, she didn’t raise any more questions,” Kamal added.
Read: Home Minister drops in on Bachelet
Replying to a question, the minister also said that the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party is spreading propaganda about the country’s human rights issues to create an anarchic situation.
“Whatever the BNP says is totally baseless. Bachelet understood this and that’s why she didn’t raise any concern about the human rights condition of Bangladesh,” Kamal said.
Power supply situation now better than last month: Nasrul Hamid
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has claimed that the power supply situation has been better in the current month than that in the previous month.
“The power supply situation will further improve in the next month….the situation in energy supply will also improve”, he told a virtual discussion meeting organized by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to observe the 15th August National Mourning Day on Saturday.
He said the Russia-Ukraine war made the global economic situation vulnerable. It created huge uncertainty in the global energy market.
With BPDB chairman Mahbubur Rahman in the chair, the event was also addressed by former principal secretary to the Prime Minister Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and power secretary Habibur Rahman.
Reiterating his call to the people to be more patient to face the power and energy crunch, the Nasrul said Bangladesh will become a rich country under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He mentioned that there was 16-18 hours of load shedding across the country before Awami League assumed power in 2009.
Read: Govt to slash fuel price when it goes down globally: Nasrul Hamid
From that situation, the PM implemented a programme to reach electricity to every house in Bangladesh, he added.
He said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proved his great leadership by purchasing five gas fields from Shell Oil Company which now meet 40 per cent of the country’s total gas requirement.
He made the right to electricity as part of the constitution to ensure that people in rural areas get electricity.
Working towards achieving culturally sustainable Bangladesh: Khalid
State Minister for Cultural Affairs K M Khalid has said they have been working towards achieving a culturally sustainable Bangladesh and working with different development partners like the British Council and UNESCO.
“We truly believe that these international collaborations are the heart of our work for a culturally balanced sustainable Bangladesh,” said Khalid who is representing Bangladesh at the grand cultural exchange at the Scottish Parliament.
The British Council has partnered with the sixth Edinburgh International Culture Summit, being held on the occasion of Edinburgh’s 75th anniversary as a “Festival City” at the Scottish Parliament from August 26-28.
The State Minister said a “whole-of-society” approach has been adopted to accelerate the SDGs implementation.