High Commission of India
Dhaka 

Speech by High Commissioner at the Roundtable on Report Release on “Economic Benefits of Bangladesh – India Power Trade”
on 26 February, 2018 at Lakeshore Hotel, Dhaka 

Adviser to the Hon’ble PM of Bangladesh on International Affairs, Dr. Gowher Rizvi 

President, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) Mr. Farooq Sobhan, 

Chairman, Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe), Dr. Kirit Parikh, 

Deputy Director, USAID, Dr. Kerry Reeves 

Project Director SARI-EI, Dr. V.K. Kharbanda 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

      There has been a very significant progress in the power sector in Bangladesh in past few years and India has been a committed partner of Bangladesh contributing to realize Bangladesh’s goal of achieving “Power for All” by 2021.  As you are all aware the MoU for cooperation between India and Bangladesh in power sector was signed in 2010 and under the framework of this MoU, approximately 700 MW of power is being supplied from India to Bangladesh through the two existing interconnections at Behrampur-Beramara and Agartala-Comilla. 

2. It is a matter of great satisfaction that power supply through the Behrampur-Beramara Interconnection has been continuing for the past five years uninterrupted and at rates which is extremely favourable. We expect that additional 500MW power will be supplied through this interconnection from June/July 2018. We have also initiated discussions on the Katihar-Parbotipur-Bornagar 765KV Interconnection to enable Bangladesh to tap the hydro electric power potential of North East of India and the sub region (Nepal and Bhutan). 

3. A mega project for the evacuation of power generated by the Rooppur Power Plant has also been included for implementation under the 3rd Indian Line of Credit. In addition to this we are also collaborating in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency, LED streetlighting etc. We are extremely happy that Bangladesh is a founding member of the International Solar Alliance launched by India and France and we look forward to cooperation in the fields of renewable energy and non conventional energy resources under this platform as well. 

4. Successful commissioning of the 1320MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant at Rampal, which is a flagship project exemplifying India-Bangladesh cooperation in the power sector, has also been a very significant milestone. There has been an encouraging trend of Indian private sector companies showing keen interest in participating in the power sector of Bangladesh. We have finalized a unique project under which 1600 MW power generated in Jharkhand would be supplied exclusively to Bangladesh through a dedicated transmission line. 

5. Another encouraging development is the expansion of power sector cooperation to sub-regional platforms, including BBIN. Discussions have already been initiated for trilateral investment in hydro-electric power in Bhutan.  The supply of power to Bangladesh generated by GMR an Indian company in Nepal is also under the consideration of three sides. 

6. I congratulate, IRADe, USAID and BEI for successfully carrying out the Modeling study on the ‘Economic benefits of Bangladesh-India electricity trade’ which gives invaluable insights into the power trade potentials and the macro economic benefits for both the countries. We have noted the key findings of the analysis which conclude that electricity imports from India to Bangladesh are cheaper (and cleaner) than all other options and thus enhance the energy security of Bangladesh and that Interlinking of the power grids of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal will contribute to greater diversification and reliability of power supply in the region. 

7. I would like to mention that we have already started initiatives for sub-regional cooperation in the power sector and I am confident that the exploitation of the hydropower potential of the sub-region will be a win-win option for not only India and Bangladesh but also for other countries in the region.  We look forward to greater engagement between India and Bangladesh in the Power Sector in the future and would like to highlight the need for the identification of new avenues for collaboration for mutual benefit. 

8. I would specially mention a word of thanks to Mr. Farooq Sobhan, President of BEI for inviting me here today and wish this workshop a grand success. 

Thank You