Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Friday asked the Bangladesh government to reconsider and if necessary cancel what it calls the vague and inequitable power purchase agreement with Adani Group. “TIB expressed deep concern that the Bangladesh's power sector may become hostage to this controversial company if the unequal, opaque and discriminatory contract signed by Bangladesh Power Development Board to purchase 1600 megawatt electricity from India's Adani, which is an accused of share fraud, is implemented,” said a press release. This organization suggested bringing applicable amendments to this agreement after reviewing its terms thoroughly by engaging experts, or if necessary scraping the agreement for the sake of the national interest especially considering that the final burden of this agreement should be borne by the people of the country. Read more: Amid standoff over tariff, transmission lines for electricity from Adani plant completed According to national and international media reports, the electricity generated from the Adani power plant located in Godda, Jharkhand will cost almost three times more than the electricity produced in the country. Again, there is an obligation in the power purchase agreement (PPA) to buy power from Adani Power at this high price, it said. TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said this agreement is considered as inequitable and unclear and unprecedentedly discriminatory contract for Bangladesh by the international reliable analysis. “It seems that the agreement has ignored the interests of Bangladesh and favored the interests of Adani group in such a way that the electricity sector of Bangladesh can become a hostage in the hands of this company. This burden will have to be borne by the people of this country,” he said.

Power purchase contracts with rental and quick rental power plants could be done and extended on-call basis like that of Uber, said Prime Minister’s energy advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury. “Rental and quick rental plants are our national assets. We can take their service on-call basis,” he said while addressing a webinar titled: “Rental, Quick Rental Power Plant, Past, Present and Future”, organised by Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB), on Tuesday.       The energy advisor’s comments came amid huge criticisms against the most costly electricity that the government has been purchasing for a long time from the private sector. The plants were set up on an unsolicited basis as part of the government’s strategy to find a quick solution to the nagging power crisis that prevailed over a decade back. Despite surplus generation of more than 4,000 MW in the power system, many of the rental and quick rental plants are still in operation following the extension of their contracts with the government on a number of occasions. Defending the rental and quick rental’s continuous operation, Tawfiq Elahi said these plants sometimes become essential because of the volatility in the global fuel market.