Power secretary to visit India for energy cooperation talks

Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, Nov 17 (PTI) A top energy ministry bureaucrat
from Bangladesh will visit Indian national capital New Delhi
Wednesday for preparatory energy cooperation talks ahead of
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit next month when the
two countries are expected to ink a deal on power sharing.
"We are leaving here with a delegation tomorrow for
New Delhi as part of preparatory works for the energy talks
during the prime minister's forthcoming visit to India," Power
Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told PTI.
He said the Bangladesh delegation, which he would
lead, would discuss the modus operandi of importing at least
100 MW power from India as offered during the September visit
of foreign minister Dipu Moni to the Indian capital.
Besides, Azad said, he would hold talks on equity
sharing in a power project in Tripura as Dhaka earlier agreed
to offer overland transport facilities through Bangladesh for
carrying equipment for the installation.
"The SAARC power grid connectivity is another major
issue which we are expecting to discuss with our Indian
counterpart and other concerned people in New Delhi," during
the five-day visit.
The Daily Star newspaper quoting the state-run Power
Development Board chairman Alamgir Kabir, who would accompany
the power secretary, said they would also discuss future
cooperation for human resources and technical development
between the Bangladesh Power Development Board and its Indian
counterpart state-run power producer National Thermal Power
Corporation (NTPC).

He also said they would discuss if a technical team
could be set up to scrutinise the issue of power
inter-connectivity between India and Bangladesh and review the
modalities of power purchase on short-term and long-term
basis.
Energy-starved Bangladesh has long been hammering on
setting up a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) Grid for regional power inter-connectivity so cheap
hydropower could be imported from Nepal or Bhutan.
The energy ministry officials said the Bangladesh
delegation would discuss the issue of equity sharing in the
under-construction Tripura Palatana 750 MW power project as
India last year proposed through the World Bank that
Bangladesh could have an equity of 25 per cent to 30 per cent
in the project.
The proposal got momentum as Bangladesh in September
in principle agreed to provide access to Ashuganj river port
to facilitate overland transport facilities for the Palatana
power project.
Experts earlier said the two countries would need to
construct power transmission lines, build or expand bordering
sub-station facility and take up other measures. PTI AR