Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter has said that while the agriculture sector receives electricity at subsidized rates, the fisheries and poultry sectors are still being charged at industrial rates. She noted that reducing electricity costs in these sectors would require an annual subsidy of approximately Tk 400 crore. Given the broader interests of boosting production and ensuring food security, a subsidy on electricity for fisheries and poultry is essential.
She made these remarks as the chief guest at the closing ceremony of “CAB Youth Parliament 2025” organized by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) at the Mujafar Chowdhury Auditorium of Dhaka University, where students from various universities participated.
The adviser emphasized that public welfare should take precedence over financial figures, saying, “We cannot hesitate by only looking at the amount of money involved.” She added that discussions have already been held with the Ministry of Finance and other relevant ministries on the issue. Once the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) grants approval, the process will become much easier.
Highlighting inequality in the power sector, she said that although 220 MW of hydropower is produced in Rangamati, local residents do not benefit from it — they still face 5–6 hours of load-shedding daily. Even in the capital, lower-income neighborhoods experience frequent power outages, whereas affluent areas do not. She urged the concerned authorities to address such disparities.
Referring to the upcoming COP30 Conference, the adviser described the “Net Zero Carbon Emission” pledge by developed countries as a deceptive proposal. She said, “Rich nations will not actually reduce carbon emissions; rather, they aim to profit through technology transfers under the guise of emission reduction.” She added that Bangladesh’s contribution to global carbon emissions is negligible, yet it remains one of the worst victims. The adviser asserted that the concept of “Net Zero” is essentially a new corporate strategy for profit-making through technology business.
The event was presided over by Professor Dr. Shamsul Alam, CAB’s Energy Adviser. A.H.M. Safiquzzaman, President of CAB and former Labour Secretary, attended as the special guest. CAB’s Organizing Secretary Syed Mizanur Rahman and others also spoke at the program.