The High Court (HC) on Tuesday ordered the authorities concerned to conduct a high-level committee to enquire into the power contracts signed by the Awami League government with India's Adani Power (Jharkhand) Ltd in 2017.
The HC bench asked the Energy and Mineral Resources secretary to form a high-powered committee with international energy and legal experts within a month. The committee has also been asked to submit a detailed report before the HC in two months.
In response to a writ petition, the HC asked the government to investigate whether there was any corruption in the agreement with Adani Group and submit a report in three months.
The HC bench also asked the relevant government authorities to submit documents regarding the process leading up to the deal with Adani Power.
At the same time, the HC bench issued an order asking the relevant government authorities to explain why the Adani deal should not be declared illegal.
It fixed February 25, 2025 for the next date of hearing.
The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury gave the directives and the rule following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Abdul Qaiyum challenging the legality of the power purchase agreement signed on November 5, 2017.
During the hearing, lawyer M Abdul Qaiyum, lawyers Mohammad Moniruzzaman, Afroza Firoz, and Kamrun Mahmud stood for the petitioner.
Earlier, on November 6, Abdul Qaiyum sent a legal notice to the Chairman of the Power Division and the Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Power and Mineral Resources seeking that the process of amending the agreement begin within three days.
The notice warned that if the issue was not addressed, a writ petition would be filed in the High Court seeking necessary directives.
After no response to the legal notice, the writ petition was filed, urging the government to revise the terms of the agreement on the grounds of fairness, equity and national interest. The petition also sought the annulment of the agreement if the Adani Group refused to make the changes.
The government signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) in November 2017 with Adani Power under an unsolicited offer, to buy electricity from its 1,600 MW power plant in Godda of Jharkhand. It started importing electricity from the plant in April 2023.
