The new government has unveiled a 100-day and five-year action plan for the energy sector. The plan emphasizes strengthening energy security by increasing domestic gas exploration and production.
On Wednesday at the Secretariat, Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and State Minister Anindya Islam Amit formally presented the plan through the unveiling of a publication.
The plan aims to reduce system loss to 6.25 percent within 100 days, with a long-term target of bringing it down to 4 percent within five years. It also includes accelerating the installation of smart meters for residential connections.
According to a press release issued by the ministry, the publication outlines short-, medium-, and long-term strategies with a focus on energy security, domestic resource exploration, transparency, and digital transformation.
The plan includes an initiative to drill 150 wells to increase domestic gas production, along with the formulation of an “integrated roadmap” to achieve this goal.
It also proposes drafting the “Bangladesh Onshore Model PSC 2026” and the “Bangladesh Offshore Model PSC 2026” to strengthen oil and gas exploration both onshore and offshore.
For the period from 2026 to 2030, the five-year plan includes the formulation of the “Energy and Power Sector Master Plan (EPSMP) 2026,” as well as policies on gas marketing and an integrated LPG policy.
Additionally, the plan includes initiatives to formulate policies for naphtha production and marketing, as well as bitumen production and transportation.
The document also proposes preparing separate business plans for companies under Petrobangla and BPC, along with policies regarding the appointment of managing directors.
To modernize administrative operations, the ministry plans to implement the EMRD Portal and an interactive EMRD dashboard.
An “Explosives Department Licensing Automation System” will be introduced to digitize licensing activities of the Department of Explosives.
To ensure transparency and attendance monitoring in the sector, the “TruePresence” app will be launched.
A program has been undertaken to install prepaid gas meters for residential consumers. Under Titas and other distribution companies, plans are in place to install hundreds of thousands of prepaid meters in phases.
The five-year plan also includes the establishment of a terminal in the Chattogram port area, channel dredging, and related infrastructure development.
It mentions initiatives to approve technical and financial feasibility studies for developing the northern and southern parts of the Barapukuria coal mine through open-pit mining. There are also plans to approve separate projects for the exploration of heavy minerals and other mineral resources in river and coastal areas.
The plan includes initiatives to assess the feasibility and conduct research on alternative energy sources such as coal bed methane, underground coal gasification, and green hydrogen.
The Energy Division also plans to initiate bilateral discussions with neighboring countries to strengthen national energy security through regional and cross-border gas pipelines and energy cooperation.
Steps will be taken to establish new laboratories at the Bangladesh Petroleum Institute (BPI) and enhance research capacity.
The ministry stated that initial administrative and structural reforms will be undertaken within the 100-day action plan, while large infrastructure projects and policy reforms will be implemented over the five-year period.