Zakir Hossain From Dhaka
The interim government of Bangladesh has decided to review all Independent Power Plant (IPP) agreements signed during the tenure of the previous Awami League government, amid widespread allegations of irregularities.
Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed announced the decision on Tuesday following a meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs at the Cabinet Division. “There were inconsistencies in many of these agreements. Besides, the Supreme Court has also issued directives in this regard,” he told reporters. The government has approved a proposal to seek legal advice and initiate necessary discussions concerning the agreements, in line with the apex court’s directive.
The High Court recently struck down two provisions of the controversial “Indemnity Act” related to the power sector, which had shielded government decisions from judicial review and centralized authority over all sectoral planning. While the court condoned past actions taken “in good faith” under these provisions, it directed the government to make all state-owned power plants fully operational in the national interest.
In the same meeting, Adviser Ahmed also reviewed the country’s food grain reserves. “The stock of paddy, rice, and wheat is satisfactory,” he noted, adding that market fluctuations are expected but the government remains “very cautious and vigilant.” Additionally, the cabinet approved two proposals in principle to construct the civil and E/M components of the upcoming ‘July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum,’ under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.