Energy experts see ensuring sustainable primary energy, reducing over-reliance on fuel import, and checking 'corruption' as major challenges of Bangladesh's power and energy sector.
The new government should expedite oil and gas exploration, utilise local coal, and ensure efficient use of energy to develop the sector, they opined.
They also hailed Nasrul Hamid for getting reappointment as the state minister for Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
"The government should open up onshore blocks and expedite offshore hydrocarbon exploration immediately to ensure primary energy sources," said Professor Mohammad Tamim, an energy sector expert and pro-vice chancellor of BRAC University.
It was unfortunate that the government could not accomplish anything significant to tap the country's hydrocarbon potentials over the past one decade, he lamented.
Setting up a number of coal-fired power plants relying entirely on import cannot be a perfect solution, said Mr Tamim, who was in-charge of power and energy sector during the last caretaker government as a special assistant to its chief adviser.
Besides, the government is yet to build any infrastructure or ensure coal sources, he bemoaned.
The government should go for sub-surface mining in the local coalmines to ensure coal sources to generate electricity from the planned mega coal-fired power plants.
Mr Tamim was also critical over the government's policy of building 'too many' oil-fired power plants to generate electricity.
"Currently 35 per cent electricity is produced through oil-fired power plants, which is very rare in global perspective."
The government should phase out rental and quick rental power plants instead of extending their tenure further, he added.
Mr Tamim also underscored the necessity of building land-based LNG (liquefied natural gas) import terminal instead of FSRU (floating, storage and re-gasification unit)-based LNG import terminal for ensuring stable import and supply of re-gasified LNG.
He also opined for efficient use of energy and its conservation instead of massive investment in renewable energy sources. However, entrepreneurs of renewable energy sector should not be discouraged as well.
Managerial skills of employees in power and energy sector must be ensured, he added.
Energy adviser of Consumers' Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Professor M Shamsul Alam said the government should stick to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's pledge of eradicating corruption, especially in power and energy sector.
Irrational and illogical increase in expenditure in power and energy sector must be checked, and transparency must be ensured, he further said.
The new government should act as a people-friendly one instead of the previous business-friendly one.
The government should initiate some reforms in the sector, and restrict secretaries of the ministry to act as chairman of board of directors of the state-run entities to ensure good governance, he added.
Professor Badrul Imam of Geology Department of Dhaka University stressed the necessity for ensuring sustainable and cost-effective electricity and natural gas.
The government should rigorously go for hydrocarbon exploration to ensure the country's future energy security.
Bangladesh is neither floating on huge energy reserve nor has exhausted its energy reserves, he added.
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