State-run Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) incurred an accumulated loss of around Tk 2.67 trillion ($26.75 billion) over the past 17 years from the fiscal year 2007-08 to 2024-25, Chief Executive of Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) Hasan Mehedi said on Wednesday.
BPDB's net loss remained around Tk 903.97 billion even after providing subsidies over the past years, he said while delivering the welcome speech at the inauguration of the two-day Green Energy Olympiad 2026 Grand Finale at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon inaugurated the event as the chief guest.
"Textbook knowledge alone is insufficient to tackle today's energy and environmental challenges. Our young generation must acquire practical, hands-on, and multidimensional knowledge to play an active role in Bangladesh's energy transition," the minister said.
Chief Economist and Country Business Manager of City Bank Ashanur Rahman, Deputy Director of Power Cell Selim Ullah Khan, CEO of Direct Renewable Energy Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Programme Manager of the European Union Delegation to Bangladesh Tanzina Dilshad, and Senior Vice President of Bangladesh Sustainable and Renewable Energy Association (BSREA) Zahidul Alam were the special guests at the event.
The Green Energy Olympiad began in 2025 with participation from over 150 colleges and universities and more than 4,900 students, with advisers, government officials, and civil society members joining voluntarily.
Azizjst@yahoo.com