Conversations: Khondaker Moazzem on Nepal’s “Other” Electricity Market - A Look at the Electricity Sector of Bangladesh

Ep. Co#009 Nepal and Bangladesh have gone through similar tribulations and upheavals in their quest for affordable, secure, reliable, and sustainable electricity in the past. As we discussed in our previous episode of PODS by PEI, the principal factor behind Nepal overcoming its substantial load shedding was completing the cross-border transmission line that allowed for electricity trade between Nepal and India. On the other hand, Bangladesh’s emphasis on energy “emergency management” allowed for the rapid uptake of coal and LNG-powered plants, allowing the nation to overcome its dark days. However, as the conversations surrounding climate change and the need to curb the global reliance on carbon-intensive fuels take focus, Bangladesh faces a new challenge towards sustaining its electricity demand. In this episode, we have the Senior Programs Officer, Saurab Lama, in conversation with Dr. Khondaker Moazzem, Research Director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh. The two discuss the overall landscape of the Bangladeshi electricity sector, the various factors that have shaped the electricity market in the nation, the scope of renewables in the LNG-dominated system, and the scope for Nepal as a future exporter of electricity to Bangladesh. Moazzem is the Research Director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh, with interests in developing industrial enterprises, entrepreneurship development, and private investment, including FDI, competition policy, and trade at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. Moazzem holds a Ph.D. from Kyoto University, Japan, and was a visiting fellow at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University. Click here to read Khondaker Moazzem’s 2019 report on the Bangladeshi electricity sector. Click here to read Khondaker Moazzem’s Op-Ed “Feasible options for cross-border power trade with Nepal.”