3-day Bangladesh Energy Conference to begin in Dhaka from Saturday

The 3rd Bangladesh Energy Conference 2025 is set to take place in Dhaka from 6–8 December.

Organisers formally announced the event at a press briefing held today (4 December) at the Dhaka Reporters Unity.

This year's conference will take place at the Bangladesh Military Museum and is expected to bring together a wide spectrum of national and international stakeholders.

The inaugural conference in April 2023 laid the foundation for a national dialogue on energy transition, drawing 283 participants from government institutions, the private sector, academia, development partners and civil society.

The second edition, held in December 2024, expanded this engagement to nearly 400 delegates, and its recommendations have since influenced several major policy shifts.

Over the past year, notable progress has included a halt on approvals for new fossil fuel–based power plants, a 10-year tax exemption for renewable energy investments, tenders for 5,238MW of solar power and the rollout of a programme to install 3,000MW of rooftop solar.

However, speakers at today's press event cautioned that the sector continues to face structural challenges.

They said that despite earlier commitments, authorities approved 2,220MW of new power generation capacity in FY2024–25, exacerbating Bangladesh's longstanding issue of idle capacity.

This resulted in approximately Tk32,500 crore in capacity payments to private operators. Meanwhile, LNG imports surged by 13%, driving foreign currency expenditure to Tk40,759 crore, an alarming trend for an economy already under pressure.

Environmental and economic concerns intensified with the proposed 1,200MW coal-fired power plant in Matarbari, a move critics say directly contradicts the government's pledge to avoid new coal projects.

Experts warned that the plant would jeopardise local ecosystems, livelihoods and Bangladesh's emissions trajectory.

Although the Renewable Energy Policy 2008 set a target of 10% renewable energy by 2025, current output remains just 5.1%. Speakers reiterated that Bangladesh has the technical potential to transition to 100% renewables by 2050, but achieving a just transition will require inclusive participation of women, youth, indigenous communities and low-income groups.

Organised by the Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development (BWGED) alongside 16 co-organising institutions, the conference will be inaugurated by Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment.