Bangladesh, Nepal, and India have inked a tripartite agreement to enable the flow of 40 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh, which is a significant development for regional energy collaboration.
Syeda Rizwana Hassan, Bangladesh’s adviser on environment, forests, climate change, and water resources, as well as energy officials from the participating nations, attended the ceremony in a Kathmandu hotel to officially signify the agreement.
As per the deal, power will be sent from Nepal to Bangladesh through India for a period of five months, specifically from June to November. This collaboration intends to assist Bangladesh’s increasing energy needs, particularly in light of persistent issues with power generation in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector. One important pillar of Bangladesh’s economy, the RMG sector, has experienced power outages that have impacted operations and output capacity.
As Syeda Rizwana Hassan put it, “Ensuring the long-term energy security of our countries in an eco-friendly manner is equally as important as satisfying our urgent energy demands.” She added that the deal is a critical step in improving regional energy trade.
Together with Bangladesh’s Water Resources Secretary Nazmul Ahsan and Nepal’s ambassador to Bangladesh, Ghanshyam Bhandari, there was also Nepal’s Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Minister Deepak Khadka in attendance at the signing ceremony.
The Environment Adviser met with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli earlier in her two-day visit to Nepal to talk about a range of bilaterally relevant topics. The pact strengthens commercial relations between the three countries while highlighting a cooperative effort to manage energy requirements sustainably.