KATHMANDU: The Bangladesh government has agreed to buy 40 MW to 50 MW of electricity from Nepal within 3 months. Such an agreement was reached at the meeting of the Secretary-level Joint Steering Committee (JSC) formed for energy cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh on Thursday.
Officials of Nepal and Bangladesh also agreed to bring India on board with a tripartite agreement for trading power between the two countries. Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Shushil Chandra Tiwari, and the Secretary of the Ministry of Electricity, Energy and Mineral Resources of Bangladesh Mohammad Habibur Rahman led a team of respective countries at the meeting.
According to Madhu Bhetwal, a meeting will be held soon between Nepal Electricity Authority, Indian Electricity Trading Company (NVVN), and Bangladesh Power Development Board to implement the agreement. After the Bangladesh government put forward a plan to import electricity from Nepal, the JSC meeting gave it a concrete form. If this is implemented, it will be a big milestone for electricity trade between the two countries.