A youth march was held along the Karnaphuli riverbank in Chattogram on Thursday, demanding increased investment in solar and wind energy instead of liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports and LNG-based power projects.
Organised at the Bridgeghat area beside the Karnaphuli River on 18 December, the march urged the government to redirect funds allocated for LNG imports towards renewable energy, organisers said in a press release.
Bangladesh spends around Tk55,000 crore every year on fuel imports for power generation, with a large share going towards LNG despite persistent gas shortages in existing power plants, according to the organisers.
Over the past four years, the government has approved 11 LNG-based power plants, of which four are under construction while seven are awaiting implementation, they said.
To address gas shortages, LNG imports began in 2018, with two private LNG terminals constructed in the 2018–19 fiscal year, requiring daily service charges of around $450,000.
Importing LNG costs Tk79.33 per cubic metre, while it is sold to the power sector at Tk14.75, resulting in a loss of Tk64.58 per cubic metre, the organisers said.
They warned that failure to ensure LNG supply would leave under-construction power plants idle, while the government would still have to pay capacity charges, amounting to Tk17,650 crore to private power producers in the 2022–23 fiscal year.
As idle power plants increase, capacity payments continue to rise sharply, creating mounting pressure on the national budget, speakers said.
The march was organised by private development organisation Institute for Sustainable Development and Environment Bangladesh (ISDE-Bangladesh) with support from JetNet Bangladesh (JetNetBD).
Global geopolitical tensions, including the Russia–Ukraine war and instability in the Middle East, have made LNG and petroleum supplies increasingly uncertain, speakers said while addressing the gathering.
They cautioned that building new LNG terminals and LNG-based power plants could turn into a long-term economic burden for the country.
Annual fuel imports of around $6 billion are placing severe pressure on foreign exchange reserves, while rising fuel import bills and capacity charges are reducing budget allocations for critical sectors such as agriculture, health, transport and education, they said.
Speakers also recalled that gas supply across Chattogram and other parts of the country was disrupted for three days after Cyclone Mocha damaged the Moheshkhali LNG terminal, severely affecting livelihoods and industrial operations.
LNG imports not only drain foreign currency reserves but also cause serious environmental damage, posing long-term risks to both the economy and the environment, they added.
Immediate cancellation of LNG import plans and allocation of equivalent funds for solar and wind power projects were demanded during the march.
Solidarity speeches were delivered by Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) central vice-president SM Nazer Hossain, Coastal Research and Development Centre executive director and CAB Chattogram divisional general secretary Kazi Iqbal Bahar Saberi, District Social Entrepreneurs Parishad joint secretary Md Jannat Alam, ISDE-Bangladesh programme officer Raisul Islam, ISDE-Bangladesh intern Md Saimon Islam, CAB Youth Group Karnaphuli upazila president Md Arefin, joint secretary Imran Hossain Tara and CAB Youth Group Chattogram city member Sidratul Muntaha, among others.
