CPD asks the interim government to pause the draft energy master plan, citing coal and LNG bias, inflated demand forecasts, delayed grid upgrades, and missed renewable and regional trade options.
The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has called on Bangladesh’s interim government to immediately halt the Energy and Power Sector Master Plan (EPSMP), warning that the draft prioritises coal and LNG over renewable energy, risks locking the country into costly carbon-intensive infrastructure and undermines long-term energy security.
At a media briefing in Dhaka, CPD Research Director Khondaker Golam Moazzem described the draft as “fundamentally flawed and non-participatory.” He questioned the rationale behind planning nearly 60,000 megawatts of electricity, asking who would consume such massive power given Bangladesh’s expected service-oriented labour-intensive economic growth. According to CPD analysis, half of the proposed capacity would be sufficient to meet demand by 2040 and overestimating requirements could deepen excess capacity, increase costs and strain the power sector financially.
Moazzem also raised concerns about undue influence from foreign partners and entrenched domestic energy lobbies, particularly regarding LNG infrastructure. He noted that upcoming economic and trade agreements with Japan and the United States appear to have shaped energy-related commitments in the draft. “The plan seems driven more by vested interests than by Bangladesh’s long-term economic and energy needs,” he said.
CPD senior research associate Helen Mashiyat Preoty highlighted the draft’s lack of focus on grid modernisation. “Smart grid implementation has been pushed back to 2040, even though the current system cannot integrate more than 20 percent variable renewable energy,” she said. Smart grids, which allow more efficient and flexible use of solar and wind energy, are critical for a renewable-based power system.
The draft proposes expanding coal-based generation from 6.8GW to 12.9GW and prioritises new LNG terminals and floating storage units. “These are costly investments that undermine long-term energy security and lock Bangladesh into fossil fuel dependency,” Preoty said, urging a shift toward solar, wind and other proven renewable sources.
CPD recommended scrapping all plans for new coal plants, initiating a time-bound phase-out of existing coal capacity, halting new LNG terminals and redirecting investment toward domestic gas exploration. The think tank also called for prioritising high-potential renewable regions like Chattogram and exploring regional renewable energy trade, including imports from Nepal and Bhutan, opportunities largely overlooked in the draft.
CPD concluded that the EPSMP process should be deferred until after national elections, allowing an elected government to launch a more inclusive forward-looking energy strategy that safeguards the economy, reduces carbon emissions and strengthens Bangladesh’s role in regional energy security.
