Bangladesh is seeking to deepen its cross-border energy framework with India to bolster its domestic power transmission system and ensure long-term energy stability. Following high-level bilateral talks in New Delhi earlier this month, Bangladeshi Power Division Secretary Mirana Mahrukh outlined Dhaka’s intentions to expand electricity imports beyond the existing baseline of approximately 2,500 megawatts.
During the diplomatic visit in early August, the Bangladeshi delegation conferred with Indian Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal to review established supply commitments and assess new technical avenues for collaboration. Indian official sources confirmed that both governments agreed to intensify engagements through structured institutional mechanisms, guaranteeing seamless grid synchronisation and uninterrupted supply.
In an interview with Business India reviewing the trip’s outcomes, Mahrukh underscored the strategic necessity of scaling up cross-border trade. “We discussed cross-border power trade in detail. I hope this partnership will be further strengthened,” she stated, noting that regional grid integration remains central to Bangladesh’s long-term energy security framework.
Deliberations encompassed several major infrastructure components, including cross-border transmission corridors, the operational status of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Project at Rampal, and prospective ventures in green technologies. Bangladesh currently holds contractual arrangements to import up to 2,756 megawatts of power from India, alongside a 40-megawatt trilateral power trade arrangement with Nepal.
Power supplies from India are procured through independent bilateral agreements with state-owned and private power utilities, notably Adani Power, NTPC Limited, Sembcorp Energy India, and PTC India Limited. Among these suppliers, Adani’s Godda ultra-supercritical thermal power unit in Jharkhand delivered 8,030 million kilowatt-hours of electricity to the Bangladeshi national grid during the 2024–25 financial year.
The Bangladeshi delegation stressed that cross-border energy cooperation extends beyond basic procurement metrics. Joint ventures such as the Rampal plant, developed under the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company, serve as crucial elements of the nation’s base-load energy matrix. Looking ahead, Dhaka intends to utilise sub-regional platforms like the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) framework to build an integrated South Asian energy market.
Clean energy transition and technological innovation were also key components of the discussions. Given India’s extensive research investments in renewable technologies, Bangladesh aims to establish joint initiatives in green hydrogen and advanced solar technologies. Future joint operations are expected to focus on optimizing coal-fired power generation through the efficient utilisation of industrial by-products and carbon mitigation techniques, fostering a sustainable energy partnership across the subcontinent.
