BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday said their party would abolish the indemnity provision in the power sector if it returns to power.

Speaking at the ‘CAB Youth Parliament 2025’ organised by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) at Dhaka University, Rizvi said the indemnity law had legalised massive corruption in the power sector.

“During the fascist regime, hundreds of thousands of crores of taka were looted from the energy sector. Using the indemnity law as a tool, money was siphoned off abroad,” Rizvi alleged.

He said through rental and quick rental power projects, the previous government unleashed a wave of plunder in the energy sector, and the indemnity provision had paved the way for further large-scale corruption.

“BNP stands firmly against such looting. Once in power, BNP will definitely repeal the indemnity,” he affirmed.

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Rizvi said investment in the energy sector had declined and stressed that Bangladesh must start focusing on renewable energy now.

“The previous government never thought about energy for people. Although the current interim government’s intentions regarding renewable energy seem right, their actions are not yet visible,” he observed.

The BNP leader said that the party’s 31-point reform agenda places special emphasis on renewable energy, adding that acting chairman Tarique Rahman has repeatedly highlighted the issue in his speeches.

“BNP has also pledged to plant 250 million trees across the country,” Rizvi said, adding that the party has always been serious about environmental issues. Apart from tree planting, our acting chairman has repeatedly talked about restoring the navigability of 20,000 km of canals, wetlands, and dead rivers,” he added.

On the country’s renewable energy potential, Rizvi said Bangladesh needs to explore more alternative sources beyond solar and wind power.

“Currently, only 4.71 percent of the national grid’s electricity comes from renewable sources. If Bangladesh can produce biofuel like Brazil—from sugarcane husks and other byproducts—it can make significant progress in this sector,” he said.

Rizvi identified investment as the major challenge in renewable energy, saying that foreign investments are often delayed or blocked due to bureaucratic hurdles. “Overcoming these challenges is crucial to take the renewable energy sector forward,” he added.

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