Industry, agriculture to get priority for power rationing: Energy adviser

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury on Thursday said that Industry and agriculture will get priority to electricity rationing.

Dr Tawfiq virtually joined the seminar titled Energy Security for Sustainable Development held at FBCCI.

He said that Ukraine crisis has disrupted the world's energy supply chain. Government has come up with electricity rationing to deal with this situation. The initiative has been taken for uninterrupted electricity supply in industry and agro sector, said a press release.

Attending as the special guest, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Kaikaus informed that the government has special care for the industry and service sector.

Despite prioritising industry and service sector, some factories are facing load shedding as they are located in residential areas.

However, Kaikaus urged the factory owners to inform concerned authorities while load shedding disrupts the production.

FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin, at his welcome speech, said that the government should emphasise coal-based power generation.

Mentioning that many developed countries are back to coal based power, Bangladesh also should emphasise on coal exploration and power generation with coal.

The FBCCI President urged for offshore exploration and drilling. Therefore, he called for strengthening BAPEX.

While delivering the keynote paper, FBCCI's Panel Adviser and retired BUET Professor Dr Ijaz Hossain said that the average growth of the industry sector has been hampered due to shortage of gas.