The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase has approved the import of 40 megawatts (MW) of hydropower from Nepal at a rate of Tk 8.17 per unit.
The approval was granted in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (11 June).
However, there is significant uncertainty regarding the immediate availability of this electricity.
According to sources at the Power Division, the power from Nepal is set to be routed through India, and an unresolved issue with India complicates the matter.
India wants to use Bangladeshi land to extend transmission lines to its eastern states. Bangladesh, in turn, seeks to address this transmission line issue in conjunction with the electricity import from Nepal.
Bangladesh has stipulated that the transmission line should facilitate both export and import, allowing Bangladesh to engage in the open electricity market in India.
On 31 January, Nepali Ambassador to Bangladesh Ghanshyam Bhandari met with Nasrul Hamid, the State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, at the Secretariat. Following the meeting, Nasrul Hamid said the process of importing 40 MW of hydroelectric power from Nepal through India was nearly complete.
The initiative hinges on India's consent due to the necessity of using Indian territory. This topic has been under discussion for several years.
The successful implementation of this project depends on resolving the transmission line issue with India, which is crucial for ensuring a reliable power exchange between the countries.