Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, Adviser to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, has announced that outstanding dues in the energy sector amounted to Tk 3.2 billion, most of which have already been cleared. He further stated that unnecessary expenditures and projects have been shut down.
The adviser made these remarks while speaking at a dialogue titled “Security, Corruption and Energy” organized by the Center for Governance Studies (CGS) in Dhaka on Thursday.
Highlighting the recent reforms, Mr. Khan said that competition has been restored in the sector. Previously, importing oil required being a refinery owner, but that condition has now been abolished.
Emphasizing the government’s firm stance against corruption, he said:
“Laws are usually made to stop corruption, but in this country, corruption itself has often been carried out through laws and policies. The structural framework of corruption in the energy sector has been dismantled. However, we are not yet satisfied. Many want corruption to remain so they can continue to enjoy benefits. We must focus on ending not only past corruption but also ongoing corruption.”
He further added that in Bangladesh, a large number of projects were implemented not for genuine development purposes but rather to serve corrupt interests.