BNP on Thursday feared that Bangladesh may face a severe foreign exchange crisis after 2027 due to huge debt burden in the power sector, resulting from widespread corruption and irregularities during the 16 years of Awami League rule.

“The government is struggling to repay the debts due to massive corruption in the power sector. This pressure poses a threat to the stability of the country’s economy,” BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku told a press conference.

The press conference was held at the party Chairperson’s Gulshan office, led by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

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Tuku, a former state minister for power and energy, said the Awami League has despoiled the people of Bangladesh with its efforts to create a magic illusion in the electricity sector.

He said the government has been repaying the debts of the power sector in foreign currencies. “As a result, there will be a severe foreign exchange crisis in the country after 2027.”

Tuku warned that the problems caused by corruption in the power sector could have a long-term impact on the country's economy, potentially leading to deterioration in the investment climate.

“Irregularities in the power sector have caused the country's economic situation to become unstable, and the people are blaming the Awami League government for it,” he said.

The BNP leader called upon the government to make public the details of the deals signed by the Awami League government with various local and international companies.

Addressing the press conference, Mirza Fakhrul Islam said, “It seems to us that the most corruption in the power and energy sector occurred during the 16 years of Awami League rule.”

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He observed that the corruption, theft, looting, and other wrongdoings of the Awami League are being buried by political debates.

“They (AL) are gaining internal advantages because of this. We need to speak about these issues repeatedly. If we don’t, people will slowly forget the corruption and misdeeds of the Awami League and how it has destroyed the country,” Fakhrul said.

In response to a question, he said if their party returns to power, they will thoroughly review the corruption and irregularities in the power sector and take appropriate actions accordingly.