Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Wednesday blamed the “unaccountable governance” of the previous 17 years for the ongoing load shedding, saying the country needs time to ensure a stable power supply and attract new investment.
He made the remarks while addressing a discussion at Sylhet District Shilpakala Academy marking July Uprising Day.
The minister said the current energy crisis was largely the result of inadequate infrastructure development in the past, particularly in the areas of LNG import, storage and distribution.
“A significant portion of Bangladesh’s energy demand depends on imported liquefied natural gas. However, the required facilities for converting and storing LNG after its arrival by ship were not sufficiently developed,” he said.
Muktadir said restoring normal power supply for households, industries and prospective investors would require time.
“This is a transition period. There is no quick solution to the crisis, as building the necessary infrastructure cannot be done overnight,” he said.
Recalling the July uprising, the commerce minister said the movement gained strength through the participation of students, citizens, schoolchildren and parents, creating a powerful social movement.
He said it was a rare occurrence globally that a nation had risen twice within five to six decades for democratic change.
Referring to the recent national election, Muktadir said voters had given their representatives a five-year mandate and that public confidence would depend on their performance.
“Accountability and responsibility towards the people are the foundations of democracy,” he said.
He added that meaningful change was possible if leaders remained committed to accountability and public service.
“The government will utilise the energy of the youth as a social force to build the Bangladesh of tomorrow,” he said.
On regional development, Muktadir said the upgrading of the Sylhet-Dhaka highway into a six-lane road would be completed by next year. The Sylhet-Chattogram road connectivity project would also be completed within the same timeframe, he added.
He said the completion of the Akhaura-Sylhet railway and Sylhet-Chattogram railway projects would enable freight and container trains to reach Chattogram Port within four to five hours.
The discussion was chaired by Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Md Abdullah Al Mamun.
Sylhet-3 lawmaker MA Malik, Sylhet-6 lawmaker Advocate Emran Ahmed Chowdhury, Sylhet City Corporation Administrator Abdul Kayum Chowdhury and senior government officials attended the programme.
