Renewable transition not possible overnight: Rizwana

FE Team | Published: December 07, 2025 00:07:29

Bangladesh cannot transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy "overnight" and must adopt a "realistic roadmap" to achieve the shift, according to Environment Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan.
She made the remarks at the inauguration of the three-day Bangladesh Energy Conference at the Bangladesh Military Museum on Saturday, reports bdnews24.com.
"Industrialists often complain about gas supply shortages. Households face the same problem too. You are all aware of that - especially the residents of Mirpur," said Rizwana.
"People demand gas supply. You want renewable energy. We must be given the time needed to shift to renewable energy. We need time to make the necessary investments. This is something the government must carry out as its own priority. But making this 'jump' overnight may not be possible," she said.
Highlighting the challenges faced by the interim government over the past one and a half years, the environment advisor said their tenure so far lacked the stability needed to make and implement "concrete" decisions.
"We have made the changes in policy that we considered appropriate and achievable. And we haven't just stopped there - we are rolling them out, starting the work through the government itself," she said.
Rizwana added that discussions about constructing a new building at the Secretariat have raised the question of making it 100 per cent renewable. She questioned whether Bangladesh could afford that target.
Energy experts at the conference called for revising the Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan to increase renewable energy share in it.
Centre for Policy Dialogue's Research Director Khondaker Golam Moazzem said the energy transition cannot be achieved without technical expertise, appropriate policies and skilled manpower.
He called for reducing dependence on foreign experts and strengthening institutions to achieve the energy transition.
Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, said the energy sector suffered from "organised crime" during the tenure of the erstwhile Awami League government, with most offences being policy-related.
"The master plan prepared by JICA or foreign consultant will never protect the interest of renewable energy. Local experts must be included in the planning process," said Iftekharuzzaman.
Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development is organising the energy conference.