In her valedictory speech in Parliament during its budget session on Saturday, the Prime Minister said, "When the capacity of people was less, there was less electricity. Now the capacity of people has increased, so the demand for electricity has also increased."

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She acknowledged the substantial subsidies currently provided to the power sector, noting that such subsidies would not be sustainable in the future.

Addressing criticisms from the opposition regarding electricity generation, Sheikh Hasina defended her government's policies, saying, "There is a lot of talk about electricity. But if I didn't formulate the special law, if I didn't build power plants, then where would I get so much electricity from? Those who criticise it are either ignorant or willful critics."

She also mentioned the imminent launch of nuclear power plant which will be a significant milestone in the country's energy sector.

To mitigate the ongoing load-shedding issues in various parts of the country, the Prime Minister announced specific measures.

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She ordered at least 2000 MW of load-shedding in posh areas like Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara to prioritise uninterrupted power supply to villages. "We are ordering the supply of electricity to those villages so that there is no load-shedding in rural areas," PM Hasina added.

She also referred to the government's broader development goals, aiming to transform Bangladesh into a developed nation by 2041.

She highlighted the significant improvements in the northern regions of the country, adding, "The manga (seasonal food crisis) that existed in North Bengal during Ershad's regime is no more. We saw the plight of people in those areas. That is no longer the case. Even the people of Rangpur now get to eat four times a day."

News Link: What PM Hasina says about energy subsidy