Please boost energy supply

---

The way the Bangladesh economy stands today or considering the net of its able and willing entrepreneurial people, a much higher growth rate is not a dream but a very much attainable reality. Only, it is necessary to meet the vital requirement of augmenting energy supply to spur on this growth.
Experts have the opinion that a growth rate of eight per cent and even higher is easily obtainable but currently remain on hold from the poor energy supply situation. The manufacturing sectors in Bangladesh have been growing robustly well above double digits for some years. But recently that growth has tapered off or seems to be falling as a consequence of the severe energy crunch. Thus, it is most unfortunate that when conditions are seen as favourable for a take-off of the Bangladesh economy in all other respects such as having entrepreneurs with the requisite flair and initiatives, a growingly efficient and easily trainable workforce to work at competitive wages, adequate finances from institutional sources, etc., all of these favourable conditions cannot be utilized as there are not enough energies to drive productive ventures fully.
Thus, addressing of this energy starved conditions calls for the highest focused attention on the part of the government. Government has explained that it carries the accumulated burden of wasted time in the energy sector for nearly seven years. First, it cites the ineffectual period under the immediate past elected government when timely works were not done to increase power generation capacities and explore for more gas. The period of two years under the caretaker government is described as similarly barren.
But these past lapses certainly do not justify the government's failings now. After all, it has been in power for nearly one and a half years knowing very well how critically important it is to go for total all out actions to increase energy supplies. But this period also appears to have been wasted in indecisiveness, lack of urgent planning and actions. The increases in power generation capacities and addition of gas to the grid in this period have been meager to say the least compared to the demand.
Therefore, people will bear out this year and keep faith in the latest promises now being made that notable improvements in energy supply will occur in 2011. But all the means available to the government to ensure keeping of this promise from the highest level of the government must be immediately mobilized and set to work very efficiently and purposefully .
Khurshid Azam
Banani, Dhaka.