BNP to review all power, energy sector deals if elected: Fakhrul
BNP called on the government to disclose the details of these agreements promptly
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has vowed to review all agreements in the power and energy sector made over the past 15 years if his party is elected, citing widespread corruption during the Awami League government's tenure.
Fakhrul made the announcement at a press conference at the party chairperson's office in Dhaka's Gulshan today (2 January), where a report titled "Corruption in the Power and Energy Sector" was presented by Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, a BNP standing committee member and former state minister for power.
The report, based on media sources, highlighted corruption within the sector.
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"The destruction that the Awami League has caused to the country is being overshadowed by political debates. These issues must be discussed," Fakhrul said, referring to the findings of the report.
At the conference, Tuku demanded that the interim government release all contracts signed in the power and energy sector during the past 15 years under Sheikh Hasina's rule, reports UNB.
"These contracts were awarded through closed tenders, bypassing legal procedures, and were made to benefit the ruling party's preferences," Tuku said. "The people have a right to know these details."
The BNP leaders criticised the Awami League government for exploiting the people through an illusion in the power sector while benefiting financially. "Electricity is like 'air' – it cannot be seen – and they turned it into a profitable business without accountability," Tuku added.
Presenting corruption statistics, Tuku showed that the total expenditure in the power sector over the last 15 years amounted to approximately Tk3,33,940 crore, with around Tk1,00,000 crore allegedly looted under the guise of capacity charges.
He claimed that the AL government paid private power plants for non-operational units and highlighted that many of the machines at these plants were faulty.
He pointed out that Tk11,115 crore had been paid for importing electricity from India over the last nine years.
In addition, Tuku accused the Awami League government of embezzling $500 million from the Russia-backed Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.
He also claimed that an Awami Syndicate had looted substantial amounts through the smart meter project and that former state minister Nasrul Hamid's company, along with a syndicate, had embezzled crores of taka in LNG projects.
To combat corruption, Tuku stressed the importance of public participation in project implementation, promoting transparency and accountability. He called for the enactment of strict laws to prevent corruption and for action against those involved.
