On Sunday, January 18, at 11:00 a.m., a press conference was held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium demanding the cancellation of the Energy and Power Sector Master Plan 2025 proposed by Bangladesh’s interim government. The event was organized by the Bangladesh Environment and Development Alliance (BWGED) and co-hosted by several organizations, including the Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Network (CLEAN), Amrai Agami, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Center for Environment and Participatory Research (CEPR), Ethical Trading Initiative Bangladesh (ETI Bangladesh), JET-Net BD, Lawyers for Energy, Environment and Development (LEED), Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), Re-Global, Souhard Youth Foundation, Safety and Rights (SRS), Waterkeepers Bangladesh, and the worker-led Climate Action Network (Worker CAN).
Speakers at the press conference included Hasan Mehedi, Member Secretary of BWGED; Monowar Mostafa, Network Advisor of CLEAN; Munir Uddin Shamim, Director (Program Evidence and Learning) of ETI Bangladesh; Abul Kalam Azad, Manager of JET-Net BD; Wasiur Rahman Tanmoy, Coordinator (CDU) of Manusher Jonno Foundation; Advocate Shimonuzzaman, Research Director of LEED; and Syed Taposh, Communication and Advocacy Manager of Waterkeepers Bangladesh, among others. During the event, speakers demanded the cancellation of the draft EPSMP 2026 proposed by the interim government. They argued that the current government is following the same path as its predecessor, noting that there is little difference between the previously proposed IEPMP and EPSMP. Such plans, they warned, would make Bangladesh increasingly dependent on energy imports. The issue of just transition has been ignored in the plan. Despite the presence of many local experts, they are not included in the planning process. As a result of these flawed plans, Bangladesh is lagging behind other countries in advancing the use of renewable energy. Although protests have been raised, the government has not responded.
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