Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Bangladesh’s former premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has acknowledged the significance of Indian industrialist Gautam Adani and his group’s investment interest in Bangladesh’s energy sector, emphasizing the need for transparency in such agreements. BNP Organizing Secretary Shama Obaid, a close associate of Khaleda Zia, stated that energy investments are crucial for meeting the country’s growing electricity demand, particularly for industrial development.
Speaking to the media about Adani Group’s energy sector investments, Obaid said, “Bangladesh, as a growing country, needs clean energy for industrialization for various purposes, and Adani Group coming ahead and showing interest to invest in energy projects is a positive thing. But at the same time, we have to make sure that any kind of deal that has been done by Adani Group or any other private sector is transparent, and all the agreements have to be looked at closely.”
She also raised concerns over corruption in previous agreements under the Sheikh Hasina administration, stressing that future deals must prioritize national interest. “Bangladeshi people have to know what’s in the agreement, it is very important because we have seen in the past when any kind of agreement has happened in Sheikh Hasina regime, a huge amount of corruption was involved. We do not want to see that in Bangladesh now, and when we talk about new Bangladesh, we talk about transparency, we talk about legitimacy, we talk about accountability. So, we want to have agreements with Adani Group or any other group which are transparent, accountable, and are actually helping Bangladesh rather than helping two or three people who will make money out of it,” she added.
Meanwhile, the political landscape of Bangladesh has undergone significant changes since Sheikh Hasina fled the country last year. She has been residing in India since August 5, a development that has drawn international attention.