Green activists and experts at a discussion on Sunday urged the government to invest in renewable energy instead of fossil fuel-based energy for a sustainable solution to the country鈥檚 power crisis.
The event, organised by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association and the Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network, was held in the Dhaka鈥檚 Eskaton area, according to a press release.
CLEAN鈥檚 chief executive Hasan Mehedi, in his keynote paper, stated that Bangladesh had enough space to produce renewable energy.
He highlighted that the country needed 2,07,294 acres of land to meet its power demand through renewable energy, while it had a potential 4,02,617 acres available to support this plan.
BD Rahmatullah, a former director general of the Power Cell, noted that it cost Tk 1,300 for a 100 megawatt fossil fuel-based power plant, while a renewable plant required only Tk 600 to Tk 700.
He said that Bangladesh had the technical ability to establish renewable energy plants, but faced administrative and political reluctance.
Centre for Policy Dialogue鈥檚 executive director Fahmida Khatun pointed out that a significant budgetary allocation was made for the power sector, but there was no specific portion dedicated to renewable energy.
Change Initiative chief executive M Zakir Hossain Khan called for the withdrawal of taxes on renewable energy equipment and the imposition of a carbon tax on items responsible for carbon production.
BELA chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan advocated for the enactment of a renewable energy law to facilitate the transition from fossil fuel-based energy to renewable sources.
