Bhutan will export electricity to Bangladesh in a few months. According to the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Bhutan, the two nations will be signing a bilateral memorandum of understanding in a month or two to finalize the agreement on electricity import from Bhutan. The tariff rate has yet to be finalised according to the ambassador.
The Ambassador of Bangladesh Shib Nath Roy said that he hopes the MoU can be signed at the earliest. According to the Bangladesh Embassy, Bangladesh plans to import 1500 megawatts of electricity from Bhutan by 2030.
He added that the demand for electricity in Bangladesh is increasing due to the growth in the manufacturing industry.
“In our country, we have hundreds of economic zones. Big business tycoons have already settled and furnished their industries in Bangladesh. So, power is crucial for their industries. It will be helpful for our country. The import will be beneficial for our country because we have the demand for it.”
According to the ambassador, India is crucial for the trade to be operational. He said a trilateral discussion between Bhutan, Bangladesh, and India, is underway.
“We will complete the bilateral MoU after two to three months. After that, we will go through the trilateral MoU between Bhutan, Bangladesh, and India. Indian territory lies between Bhutan and Bangladesh. So, transmission is important here. In that sense, India is crucial for the export and import of electricity. The three countries will sit for the trilateral agreement in a few months. We hope it will be a win-win association between Bhutan, Bangladesh, and India.”
The Ministry of Industry Commerce and Employment did not want to comment on the matter at the moment.
After the recent signing of the Agreement on Movement of Traffic-In-Transit between Bhutan and Bangladesh, the two nations are now discussing the possibility of trade of electricity from Bhutan to Bangladesh.
Chenga Dawa
Edited by Sherub Dorji
