The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has placed a 13-point proposal to ensure "energy justice" in the country.
CAB Vice president Prof M Shamsul Alam placed the proposals at a citizen meeting titled: "Energy Crisis and Development of Renewable Energy" at the Cirdap Auditorium in the city on Saturday as part of its reform campaign to bring transparency, fairness and combating corruption in the sector.
The proposals include enactment of law prohibiting all kinds of unsolicited and uncompetitive investment in the energy sector, no mixing of private and public investment in the energy sector, directors appointed in companies in public sector from the bureaucrats, state-owned companies and organizations must be run by own technical manpower, cancelling the recent amendments to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Act that curtail its authority, cancelling the Speedy Enhancement of Power and Energy Supply (Special) Act 2010 and allowing the energy regulatory body to act independently.
Ensuring production of more than 50 percent of gas and electricity from public sector on cost-basis, treating use of funds from the Gas Development Fund, Power Development Fund, and Energy Security Fund as consumers' equity investment, gradually reducing the share of coal and petroleum fuels in primary fuel mix under the short and medium term plans, increasing gas exploration by own initiative and raising the use of renewable electricity to reduce import of coal and gas, and evolving policies and strategies in energy sector in compliance with the Paris Agreement to combat climate change are also among the 13-point proposal.
With CAB chairman Ghulam Rahman in the chair, the seminar was addressed, among others, by Workers' Party president Rashed Khan Menon, Samyabadi Dal president Dilip Barua, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, Jatiya Party presidium member Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal assistant secretary Rajequzzaman Ratan, eminent energy expert Prof Badrul Imam, economist MM Akash, architect Iqbal Habib and lawyer barrister Jyotirmoy Barua addressed the function.
Criticising the Speedy Enhancement of Power and Energy Supply (Special) Act at the seminar, Rashed Khan Menon said an indemnity has been given through this law so that no public servant could be tried for corruption.
"Indemnity is a very disgusting word in our politics which cannot be acceptable in any civil society," he said.
He said now electricity is being generated for which there is no use. But the consumers have to pay the price as capacity charge.
Prof Badrul Imam alleged that state-owned company Bapex's capability is not being utilised although most of the gas fields were explored by this organisation.
He said American USGS found in its survey that the country still has 32 trillion cubic feet (TCF) undiscovered gas. But the government is not interested in producing that gas, he said.
Dilip Barua said the ruling party is now working against the ideology of Bangabadhu by promoting corruption through plundering of state wealth.
Jatiya Party presidium member Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari said, "I don't understand much about energy, but there is no need to be enlightened to understand the corruption going on here. Many bureaucrats are working in the respective ministries with their relatives. It is very sad."