Energy Bangla

A special parliamentary committee has recommended increasing Bangladesh’s strategic fuel reserve capacity to at least three months.
The committee also recommended diversifying fuel import sources, fully automating the supply system, and taking strict measures to prevent illegal stockpiling and smuggling.
The report of the special committee, formed to review measures for addressing the recent energy situation, was presented in Parliament on Sunday by the committee chairman, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud.
The second session of the 13th National Parliament began on Sunday afternoon, during which the national budget for the fiscal year 2026–27 will be presented.
The issue was discussed in Parliament in April after concerns arose over fuel supply disruptions in Bangladesh due to the war situation in West Asia and uncertainties in the global energy market.
Subsequently, a 10-member special committee comprising members from both the government and opposition parties was formed.
According to the report presented in Parliament, recent pressures on the country’s fuel supply system were caused by rising international fuel prices, the conflict in the Middle East, disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, instability in global energy supply chains, and domestic panic buying, illegal stockpiling, and black-market activities.
These factors affected transportation, agriculture, industrial production, and the daily lives of ordinary people.
The report recommends expanding strategic fuel reserves to ensure a minimum three-month supply capacity, noting that Bangladesh currently lacks sufficient storage capacity to meet long-term demand, making the supply system vulnerable whenever imports are disrupted.
In this context, the committee recommended the rapid implementation of the Dhaka–Chattogram pipeline, the Single Point Mooring (SPM) project, and the second unit of Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL-2). It also suggested conducting a study to assess whether the private sector should be allowed to import fuel products alongside the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).
The committee further recommended mandatory installation of solar panels on the rooftops of various buildings and regular monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of these systems. It also emphasized reducing system losses and developing an integrated plan for electricity generation from multiple sources, including oil, gas, coal, solar, and wind energy.
The report also includes a separate set of ten recommendations submitted by opposition party members.
The opposition recommendations state that future assessments of economic growth and electricity and energy demand should be conducted by an independent, politically neutral expert committee. They cautioned against producing exaggerated demand forecasts and suggested that, at present, expanding installed power generation capacity may not be necessary.
Although Bangladesh has built substantial power generation capacity over the past decade, debate has persisted regarding the gap between actual demand and installed capacity.
According to the Power Division, the country currently has more than 28,000 megawatts of installed electricity generation capacity, while actual peak generation typically remains between 17,000 and 18,000 megawatts.
The opposition also recommended maximizing the use of coal from the Barapukuria coal mine. Additionally, they called for increasing domestic gas production through workovers of existing gas wells, investment in quick-yielding wells, development of gas infrastructure in the Bhola, Jamalpur, and Zakiganj fields, and ensuring reliable gas supplies to power plants.
Opposition members further recommended attracting investment from international companies for gas exploration both onshore and offshore. Referring to the discovery of crude oil in Sylhet, they advised continuing exploration activities in other promising areas of the country.
The opposition recommendations also propose increasing solar power generation from the current level of around 1 percent to at least 10 percent of national electricity demand by 2030.
To achieve this goal, they suggested expanding rooftop solar net metering, incorporating battery storage systems, and removing taxes on solar modules and related equipment.
In addition, the opposition recommended evaluating the potential for small hydropower projects in the hill districts, river-flow-based power generation, and conducting research into alternative energy sources such as hydrogen fuel, biogas, and waste-to-energy technologies.
In the conclusion of its report, the committee stated that the recent energy situation should serve as an important warning for Bangladesh.
According to the committee, while the current challenges can be managed, ensuring long-term energy security will require structural reforms, infrastructure development, diversification of energy sources, and the adoption of a comprehensive national energy strategy.