When the government is desperate to prevent electricity load shedding, Islami Bank's arbitrariness is about to close the Banshkhali 1320 MW coal-based power plant. The Power Development Board fears that if the new big power plant is closed, the overall situation may go out of control.

And this complication has been created due to the arbitrariness of Islami Bank Bangladesh Plc. The bank has withheld the money of 8 LCs (line of credit) opened with 100% margin. That is why three ships loaded with coal have come to outer anchortage, but the coal clearance has been stopped. On the other hand, the coal reserves of the power plant are running out fast. The 1,320 MW power plant requires 12,000 metric tons of coal daily for full production. And coal reserves are only 60 thousand metric tons. As such there is only 5 days of coal reserves. The power plant will be shut down next week if coal cannot be unloaded from the ships at anchor.

Severe load-shedding has started across the country for a few days, with the Barapukuria coal-based power plant shutting down completely and a unit of the Rampal power plant due to mechanical failure. Besides, gas crisis has made the situation more complicated. There is no possibility of increasing gas supply in a few months. Due to which the power division is not able to eliminate the unbearable load shedding even if it wants to.

Unpleasant incidents are being reported in various areas including Noakhali in protest against load shedding. There have already been reports of vandalism in Noakhali. If another 1320 megawatt power plant is shut down at this time, the power sector stakeholders feel that it will be very difficult to handle the situation.

Chairman of the Power Development Board Rezaul Karim himself acknowledged this apprehension. He said, if the production of that center is stopped due to any reason, the load shedding will increase further. We advised them to open LC in another bank.

Tan Jheling, Managing Director of Banskhali 1320 MW coal-based power plant located in Gandamara area of Banskhali (Chattogram) near the Bay of Bengal, told Barta24.com that 8 LCs are opened through Islami Bank with 100% margin. Out of this, 5 LCs have been cleared of coal, 3 of these LCs were scheduled to release money on 6th, 11th and 22nd of last August respectively. That money was also not released.

The exporters have stopped unloading coal from 3 ships (1 lakh 68 thousand tons) that came to Chattagram port's outer anchorage due to non receipt of the previous coal bill. They refused to unload the coal until the previous bill was confirmed. The Indonesian supplier is making repeated requests to Islamic Bank through the Beneficiary Bank. He commented that Islami Bank has threatened to stop business with Bangladesh without getting any response.

The official of Banshkhali power plant said that if the coal is not released soon, there will be no option but to close the power plant. We hope the issues will be resolved before then. On the one hand, there is a fear of production stop due to non-release of LC, as well as a 60,000 dollars penalty is being added for the day that the ship is sitting. Already fined over 1 million dollars.

In response to a question, he said, there is no loan in the name of SS Power-1 in any branch of Islami Bank. Why only Islami Bank has no loan in any bank in Bangladesh. All the loans are in foreign banks. Islami Bank Gulshan Circle-1 branch has a current account. There are about Tk. 165 crore deposits outside of LC. Since the money is not released from that account, it has become difficult to manage the daily activities including paying the salaries of the Chinese engineers.

After receiving no response from the bank's Gulshan branch, a written application was submitted to the head office on August 12. Still no solution is being done, the company has written a letter to the new governor of Bangladesh Bank.

Banskhali power plant is known to be cost effective among coal based power plants. That is why the name of Banshkhali is first in the list of cost generation of the Power Development Board. Fuel consumption per unit of electricity is around Tk. 7.56. If the same amount of electricity is supplied with furnace oil, it will cost about Tk. 18. The 1320 megawatt capacity power plant can supply about 95 crore units of electricity per month if it is in full production. In order to get the same amount of electricity from furnace oil instead of coal, the government will have to multiply an additional Tk. 950 crore which could pose a huge challenge for the Interim government. Supplying that amount of electricity is very complicated not only financially but also technically.

July Shahid Smriti Foundation' has been formed in memory of the martyrs of the student uprising. The Chief Adviser of the Interim government Dr. Muhammad Yunus has been given the responsibility of president and Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, the brother of martyr Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdha has been given the responsibility of general secretary.

Information and Broadcasting Adviser Nahid Islam said this in a press conference organized in the meeting room of the Ministry on Thursday (September 12) afternoon.

The Information Adviser said that the seven-member executive committee of this foundation has been formed. It has been officially registered. The Chief Adviser of the Interim government Dr. Muhammad Yunus has been appointed as the president of the foundation. Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, twin brother of Shahid Mugdha has been made general secretary.

The executive council of the foundation will consist of 21 members. He also said that 14 more ordinary members will be added to it.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Social Services has issued a notification with the approval of the Executive Council of 'July Shahid Smriti Foundation'.

It said that the seven-member executive committee was approved for two years from 24 August 2024 to 23 August 2026.

It is said in the announcement, the president of the foundation. Dr.Muhammad Yunus, General Secretary Mir Mahbubur Rahman. Apart from this, Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, Noorjahan Begum and Sharmin Murshid have been made executive members. 

Switzerland will fully cooperate in accordance with international standards and procedures to return illegal money deposited by Bangladeshi citizens in Swiss banks.

On Thursday (September 12) Swiss ambassador Reto Siegfried Rengli made this promise in a meeting with foreign adviser Touhid Hossain.

During the discussion, the foreign adviser sought the cooperation of the Swiss authorities in identifying and recovering the illegal assets of certain Bangladeshi citizens in Swiss banks.

Citing the recent student uprising as a surprising development, the Swiss ambassador termed the change as an opportunity for comprehensive reforms in Bangladesh and assured the Swiss government's support in the reform process.

The foreign adviser highlighted the significant decision of the Interim government to form several commissions for state reform.

Both sides welcomed Bangladesh's accession to the UN Convention on Enforced Disappearances and agreed to work together to further advance the human rights agenda.

Swiss ambassador to Bangladesh on trade and investment described Bangladesh as a market with unprecedented potential and called for greater involvement of the private sector and creation of a level playing field to attract new Swiss investments.

Noting the immense potential of Bangladeshi youth especially in ICT, the foreign adviser requested Swiss assistance to harness the full potential of productivity and economic growth through entrepreneurship and job creation.

The ambassador expressed the interest of the Swiss side in this regard.

Both sides discussed the Rohingya issue and agreed that the only solution to the crisis is the repatriation of the displaced people in Myanmar with safety and rights to their home countries.

Power, energy sector was supposed to be the backbone, but it has become a burden due to the wrong policies of the previous government. 16-point recommendations including formation of independent commission of inquiry, cancellation of special provisions law were presented.

These proposals were given at a press conference on the topic of Citizens' Expectations of Power and Energy Sector Reforms at the Dhaka Reporters Unity Auditorium on Thursday (September 12). The press conference was organized by the Bangladesh Working Group on Environment and Development (BWGED).

Hasan Mehedi, member secretary of BWGED, said that various individuals and institutions are given the opportunity to steal profits. Many laws and policies have been made to favor special groups. A commission needs to be constituted to bring out these anomalies.

He said, we applaud the suspension of the Special Provisions Act. Not only should it be suspended, but the master plan prepared by JICA should be cancelled. It contains various inconsistencies and errors.

He also said that despite the previous government's talk of reducing dependence on fossil fuels, there has been no real progress. Gas-fired power plants produce electricity 49.3 percent of the time, remaining idle 51 percent of the time. Yet new LNG based gas power plants are being approved, which is totally unacceptable. Now is the time to stop sanctioning these failed projects and focus on sustainable and renewable energy.

Research Director of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Khandkar Gholam Moazzem said that a dominant cycle had developed in the energy and power sector, which had to be broken. The laws that were enacted in the past were meant to protect the interests of certain individuals or groups. Now in terms of making laws and policies, decisions should be made in the light of public welfare and scientific knowledge. There has long been a reluctance to adopt knowledge-based policies. Now is the time to break out of that reluctance and give the highest priority to knowledge in policy decisions.

The Rapid Increase in Supply of Electricity and Fuel (Special Provisions) Act, 2010 (with amendments) is repealed with immediate effect. Setting up of the Independent Public Inquiry Commission, Initial Environmental Assessment (IEE) and Environmental Assessment Report (EIA) should be made open and mandatory. Bringing fossil fuel based power plants under 'no electricity no pay' policy. All fossil fuel based power plants contracted but not under construction must be cancelled. Cancellation of approved and proposed construction of new LNG terminals, granting status of independent division to Sustainable and Renewable Energy Authority (SREDA), import duty and VAT exemption for renewable energy machinery and equipment, ensuring good governance in the power and energy sector, eliminating corruption in the sector and balancing the environment 16 points of demands are presented to protect and eliminate the risk of climate change .