Red Hot

The low base from which the electricity sector started its turnaround means prices too are on an upswing.

Even for a government with a propensity to describing itself as the harbingers of development in Bangladesh, the turnaround achieved in the electricity situation holds a special place in the hearts of the Awami League. The people can hardly forget the dire straits in which the electricity sector, indeed the population, found itself as this government came to power, and in fact the nadir was reached in its first two years, 2009-10, as load shedding peaked at around 12 hours a day in parts of even the capital.

The AL is always proud to hold up the turnaround achieved since, most often in terms of the increase in power generation. The aggressive stance helmed by the tenacious Dr Tawfiq Elahi, the prime minister’s influential energy and power sector advisor has induced a good deal of opposition from various sectors. The achievement has come at a cost obviously, and there are question marks over the strategy, that depended heavily on the quickly available rental power plants. In the last week, the government announced the eighth hike in power prices in 8 years, bullish that a population headed for middle-income status as a nation will be prepared to bear the extra cost out of their pockets.

But has the government done enough over two terms? Despite its achievements, half the rural population of Bangladesh has no access to electricity, ranking the country in bottom place among the least developed countries (LDCs) in Asia, according to a UN study launched November 22. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report identified a huge discrepancy between the country’s rural and urban populations, with around 84percent of the urban area inhabitants enjoying access to electricity.