Now that Bangladesh has started producing surplus power, it wants to sell some to India.
Power Development Board (PDB) chairman Khaled Mahmud said: “India has been giving power to Bangladesh and now, we want to sell them power and a proposal from Bangladesh were given at a bilateral steering committee meeting.”
A committee has been formed to assess the feasibility of the proposal and its report will be presented when it meets next.
At a secretary-level Indo-Bangla meeting held in Dhaka, this proposal was made by Bangladesh though the details were not discussed.
A power department official said: “We gave a proposal but India has not responded yet; the matter is not simply because we need to ascertain if the distribution system in India is compatible with our system.”
India had said that Bangladesh can export power but it has to be worked out as per an import-export guideline.
Bangladesh has not made any formal proposal to sell power to India; instead, chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, made a proposal to prime-minister Sheikh Hasina to sell 1000 megawatt of power.
Energy specialist and professor of BUET, Dr Izaz Hossain, said: “India is always providing power to Bangladesh but it would have been better if they gave power as per our needs. If India needs power in certain areas then Bangladesh can export there.”
Correct planning is also needed for the exchange of power so both countries are benefitted, he added.
“Bangladesh is exporting LPG to areas in India with gas shortage and in the same rule, power can also be exported.”
Bangladesh is importing 1260 megawatt of electricity from India through Cumilla and Bheramara in Kushtia.