CAB places 13-point demand to address energy crisis

The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) on Tuesday placed a comprehensive 13-point demand aimed at resolving Bangladesh's deepening energy crisis, calling for structural reforms, accountability, and a shift toward a people-centric and sustainable energy system. 

The demands were placed at a press conference titled "Thirteen-Point Demand for Reform of the Energy Sector for Inclusion in the Election Manifestos of Political Parties," organised by the CAB Youth Parliament at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the city.

CAB energy adviser Professor M Shamsul Alam, said the country's energy crisis is not merely a result of global market volatility but a consequence of flawed policy choices and lack of accountability.

"Electricity and primary energy were never meant to be profit-driven businesses. Turning essential public services into commercial ventures has burdened consumers and weakened national energy security," he said.

CAB's demands are the call to re-establish the power and primary energy sector as a service-oriented public utility rather than a commercial sector.

CAB demanded the abolition of profit-oriented pricing and the introduction of strictly cost-based tariffs, replacing the widely criticised "cost-plus" model that, according to the organisation, enables inefficiency and excessive profits for private operators.

Addressing import dependency, CAB called for a minimum five per cent reduction in fossil fuel imports over the next five years through improved energy efficiency and conservation.

Youth Parliament members also argued that excessive reliance on imported LNG, coal, and oil has exposed Bangladesh to global price shocks, draining foreign currency reserves and contributing to inflation.

Renewable energy expansion featured prominently in the demands.

CAB proposed increasing electricity generation by an average of 15 per cent over the next five years through continuous growth in solar power.

The organisation also urged the government to treat solar power development as a small and medium industrial sector, creating jobs while reducing pressure on imported fuels.

In a strong stance against fossil fuel expansion, CAB demanded a five-year moratorium on LNG import expansion and a complete ban on increasing coal-fired power generation capacity.

Instead, the organisation stressed the need to fully utilise domestic gas resources.

It called for 100 per cent onshore gas exploration and extraction by state-owned and local companies, including BAPEX, funded through the Gas Development Fund and conducted transparently through public hearings.

The demands also included formulating an action plan to utilise unused gas reserves in Chhatak (East) and the Bhola and southern regions, areas that CAB says remain neglected despite their potential to ease supply constraints.

CAB further demanded the cancellation of what it termed "unequal and harmful" agreements, including the power import deal with India's Adani Group.

It also called for the repeal of the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy Act, 2010, urging the courts to swiftly dispose of CAB's writ petition related to the law.

According to CAB, the act has enabled opaque contracts and expensive rental and furnace-oil-based power plants, which should be shut down entirely.

Accountability was another key focus.

CAB demanded recovery of all financial losses suffered by the state due to flawed and unlawful contracts, as well as prosecution of individuals involved in corruption and criminal activities in the energy sector, identifying them as "energy offenders."

The organisation also raised concerns about the LPG market, which it described as oligopolistic.

CAB demanded measures to break market dominance by private operators, including revoking the authority of the LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh, issuing import licences through open competition, and developing state-owned LPG terminals, refineries, and at least 50 per cent of national LPG import and storage capacity.

Ensuring regulatory accountability, CAB urged swift resolution of its complaints against the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) and implementation of CAB-proposed amendments to the BERC Act.

It also reiterated the need for a people-friendly energy transition guided by the CAB-proposed Energy Transition Policy 2024.

CAB also urged the government to refrain from signing the Energy Charter Treaty of 1992, arguing that it primarily protects international fossil fuel interests at the expense of national policy autonomy.

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