Rampant corruption committed under the previous government in Bangladesh's power sector has recently been brought to light. The national committee formed to review contracts executed under the Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply (Special Provisions) Act, 2010 has laid bare how institutionalized corruption flourished with the involvement of the highest levels of government administration.
Evidently, the power ministry was always under the direct control of the then prime minister and two former power secretaries both later elevated to the rank of principal secretary to the Prime Minister's Office have been named as key actors in this process. The review committee's findings also point to direct intervention from the highest political office.
As a result, between 2011 and 2024, while electricity production increased fourfold, payments to private power producers ballooned more than eleven-fold-from $638 million to $7.8 billion. Such a disproportionate escalation cannot be justified by production growth alone.
This indicates how inflated pricing and risk-free agreements were deliberately designed to benefit private firms at public expense. Consequently, citizens are now paying 25 percent higher electricity tariffs than comparable economies. Even more worrying is that, without subsidies, that figure could soar to 40 percent.
These massive irregularities were made possible by the Special Provision Act, which effectively acted as an indemnity law, shielding decision-makers from judicial scrutiny. Under its protection, successive contracts were awarded without competitive tenders, and all business risks were transferred to the government.
The private power plants imported their own fuel, creating yet another lucrative channel for graft. The result was a vast network of collusion stretching from private companies to powerful officials in the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
The committee's report makes it clear that this was not a case of bureaucratic inefficiency or incompetence, it was systematic corruption. It exposes how excessive centralization of authority enabled unchecked abuse of power, undermining public institutions and accountability.
In the wake of such revelations, the government has promised action against the private power producers involved. Energy adviser Dr Mohammad Fouzul Kabir Khan has vowed that the government will not hesitate to cancel any contract if irregularities are proven. Even India's Adani Power, which supplies electricity to Bangladesh from its 1,600-megawatt coal-fired Godda power plant, will not be spared.
However, the government's commitment must go beyond rhetoric. The Anti-Corruption Commission should take the lead in launching a thorough investigation, using the committee's findings as the basis for legal proceedings. The public deserves to know how billions of dollars of their money were squandered under the guise of 'speedy power supply.'
The good news is that the Special Provision Act has finally been repealed. But it must be ensured that such a law is never revived in another form. The review committee has rightly recommended that all future energy contracts undergo independent assessment before approval. This must become standard practice across all sectors involving public funds.
