Fauzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, has formally urged US $ 1 billion in budgetary support from the World Bank (WB) to fund the import of electricity and fuel.
He requested a meeting with a WB delegation at the secretariat on Wednesday.
He also highlighted the country’s substantial financial strain, noting that the annual foreign exchange cost for electricity and fuel imports amounts to US $ 2.2 billion.
He also informed the WB representatives that the current Government has a strong mandate.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry, on his first day in office, he suspended ongoing activities under the Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply (Special Provisions) Act 2010 (amended in 2021).
Additionally, the adviser mentioned that the Government has suspended the power to set electricity and gas prices under Section 34 of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (Amendment) Act, 2023.
He indicated that, if necessary, these two laws would be reviewed and potentially revised or repealed. From now on, all procurement processes will adhere to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2006, and the Public Procurement Rules, 2008.
He further stated that efforts to expand the use of renewable energy in the power and energy sector will be accelerated.
Abdoulaye Seck, the Country Director of the World Bank for Bangladesh, congratulated Fauzul Kabir on his new role and said he was eager to work with the present administration.
Seck further promised to carefully consider any requests for budget support in the electricity and energy industry.
The meeting was attended by Power Division Senior Secretary Md Habibur Rahman, Energy and Mineral Resources Division Secretary Md Nurul Alam, Finance Secretary Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder, and other senior officials from the ministry.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
