SANEM SDG Centre and SANEM Political Economy Centre jointly organized a webinar titled “Devising a Participatory Approach for Effective Policy Making in the Power and Energy Sector” on Monday, 1 July 2024, from 3 PM to 5 PM on the Zoom platform. The session was moderated by Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha, Professor of Economics at the University of Dhaka and Research Director of SANEM. The speakers included Mr Dipal C Barua, Founder & Chairman of the Bright Green Energy Foundation; Mr Md. Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury, Assistant Professor at United International University (UIU); Barrister Md. Khalilur Rahman Khan, Secretary (Deputy Secretary) for Admin and Law at the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC); and Dr Sakib Bin Amin, Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at North South University.
The session began with welcome remarks from Dr Selim Raihan, Professor of Economics at the University of Dhaka and Executive Director of SANEM. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of the power and energy sector for economic development. He highlighted that some challenges in this sector are closely linked to broader macroeconomic issues, and there is a pressing need to transition towards renewable energy. He also noted the technical and political-economic challenges in this transition and expressed hope that the webinar would provide deeper insights into these issues.
Mr Mohammad Asaduzzaman, Research Associate of SANEM, delivered the trigger presentation where he said that there was only one policy that was dedicated solely to the power and energy sector in Bangladesh. That policy was formulated in 1996, and updated in 2004. After that, we have had numerous plans, but no policy guideline that can integrate the entire energy sector. Their alignments have come under the scrutiny of experts due to the lack of robust policy backing, ensuring participation from relevant stakeholders to integrate the whole sector in line with overall economic growth and sustainable development goals. A national policy should fundamentally uphold the constitutional spirit and elements of public welfare and rights and should serve as a foundation for the master plans and guidelines. He added that this absence of a cohesive policy framework and implementation raises several concerns: 1. Ad hoc decision-making processes leading to inconsistencies and inefficiencies in the sector’s development. 2. Lack of participation, resulting in the exclusion of domestic public opinion, civic consultation, and scholarly intervention, leading to a disconnect between policy outcomes and the needs and expectations of stakeholders. 3. Lack of coordination among government bodies and private sector stakeholders, and inadequacy in alignment with other policy documents.
Dr Sakib Bin Amin shared his perspective, noting that Bangladesh’s energy policies often lack focus on marginalized populations. He stressed the need for transparent, aligned, and disaggregated national energy policies, developed with the participation of all energy stakeholders, including those at the grassroots level. He also highlighted the importance of accurate and timely energy data for effective policy-making. He added that there is a necessity of establishing a robust energy storage system and clear guidance for exploring natural gas and offshore energy facilities.
Mr Dipal C Barua emphasized the need for a solar-based charging system, a renewable energy division, and a master energy plan for renewable energy. He advocated for transitioning to solar irrigation pumps from fossil fuel based ones and highlighted the efficiency improvements in solar panel technology, which now requires less land for higher production. He added that he is promoting a concept called, “my electricity, my production.” It encourages individuals to participate in producing energy.
Mr Md. Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury discussed the global transition towards renewable energy and the need for an integrated master plan for Bangladesh’s energy sector. He called for smart grids that depend on IoT, AI, and the internet. But he also suggested taking precautions against the threat of cyber-attacks. He stressed the importance of aligning all policy instruments and financing research programs to enhance knowledge and avoid policy ambiguities. He also added that frequent changes in plans hinders a smooth target oriented process. He called for more clarity in setting targets in the power and energy sector.
Barrister Md. Khalilur Rahman Khan mentioned that the power and energy sector has numerous policies based on global scenarios and thorough research. He welcomed expert input in policy discussions. But added that experts often fail to reach a common ground, which then required policymakers to exercise autonomy.
During the open discussion session, Dr Sakib Bin Amin noted the importance of connecting to regional grids for achieving 100% solar energy. He emphasized the need for policies that ensure energy security, efficiency, and consistency. Mr Dipal C Barua emphasized the need to create an enabling environment that is not dependent on imports.
In her concluding remarks, Dr. Sayema Haque Bidisha highlighted the necessity of a participatory approach in policy-making. She stressed the need for reliable and timely data, a proper roadmap for short, medium, and long-term goals, an integrated policy approach, a renewable energy division, a master renewable energy plan, decentralized participatory approaches, public-private partnerships (PPP), and specific policies for utilizing solar power in the agriculture and energy sectors.
The discussion at the webinar highlighted the need for a participatory and integrated approach in policy-making for the power and energy sector in Bangladesh.
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