Published: 10:37 AM, 16 September 2026
PM seeks business, media support to tackle power, energy crisis
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday sought cooperation from business leaders and the media in implementing the government’s plans to address the country’s power and energy challenges, stressing that the government needs stability and sufficient time to execute its roadmap.
He also expressed hope that gas supplies to industries would return to near-normal levels from Tuesday evening. The Prime Minister made the remarks during a three-hour view-exchange meeting with business leaders and media personalities at his office at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu briefed reporters about the meeting.
Tarique Rahman said the people would decide at the appropriate time which government they wanted to entrust with running the country, but the government in office should be allowed to carry out its planned programmes without disruption.
“The people will decide at the appropriate time whom they want to entrust with running the government. But whichever government is in office at a given time should be allowed to complete its planned work,” he said.
Describing the prevailing power and energy crisis as a problem inherited by the present government, the Prime Minister said it would not be possible to resolve all the challenges within six months or a year.
“But we have identified the problems, prepared plans and are now at the stage of implementing those plans,” he said.
Tarique Rahman said the government was working according to specific timelines to restore normalcy in power and energy supplies, expressing optimism that successful implementation of the plans would benefit not only businesses and trade but the broader economy as well.
“If we can implement these plans, not only business and trade but the overall economy will benefit,” he said. On the immediate gas situation, the Prime Minister said the government expected supplies to improve significantly from Tuesday evening.
“We hope, Insha-Allah, from tomorrow evening the gas supply will return to something like the level it was at one to one and a half months ago,” he said.
State Minister for Power and Energy Aninda Islam Amit made a presentation titled “Challenges and Future Roadmap of Bangladesh’s Power and Energy Sector” at the meeting, outlining the government’s assessment of the sector and its planned measures.
Explaining the current gas crisis, Tarique Rahman said gas supplies had been disrupted following an accident at one of the country’s two floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, affecting industries and other sectors.
He said the problem caused by the accident had already been resolved. The government is now taking steps to install a third floating LNG terminal to address the country’s gas supply shortfall, he said.
According to the Prime Minister, preparations for installing another terminal on a government-to-government basis were largely completed over the past month, with work expected to begin soon.
The government expects the third terminal to be connected to the national gas supply system by December 2027, he said.
The Prime Minister said the challenges facing the power sector were also longstanding and could not be solved instantly.
After assuming office, the government reviewed the problems, consulted relevant stakeholders and formulated a roadmap to address them, he said, adding that implementation of those plans was now underway.
“Planning for anything and implementing it takes time. This problem in energy and power has been inherited. It is not possible to solve it within six months or a year simply by wishing to do so,” Tarique Rahman said.
The government also shared tentative timelines with business leaders for completing various initiatives planned under its power and energy roadmap.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that the timelines could change slightly during implementation, but said the government had a clear plan and timeframe for addressing the sector’s challenges.
Seeking cooperation from the business community, Tarique Rahman warned that any instability in the country could have a damaging impact on business, trade and the wider economy.
He said disruptions affecting businesses and industries would ultimately affect the country as a whole, making the resolution of the power and energy crisis a national economic priority rather than merely a concern for the private sector.
“So, solving the power and energy problem is not only a matter of interest for the business community. It is linked to the overall economic progress of the country,” he said.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh had set a target of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2034, and achieving that ambition would require adequate and uninterrupted supplies of electricity and energy.
He said the government had formulated its long-term power and energy plans with that economic target in mind, underscoring the importance of reliable energy supplies for industrial expansion, investment, trade and sustained economic growth.
