Last Updated on April 2, 2026 11:56 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh’s Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku on Thursday said the government was actively considering moving an international arbitration court over the power purchase agreement with India’s Adani Power, based on the findings of a national committee.
The government is also considering amending the agreement through discussions with Adani Power, the minister said in Parliament while replying to a question from MP Shahjahan Chowdhury.
Referring to media reports that the Adani deal was “unusually expensive” compared to domestic and international markets and may have gone against national interest, Chowdhury asked: “Is there any legal avenue at present to re-examine or amend this agreement in an international court or through diplomatic negotiations? If so, what steps has the government taken so far to re-evaluate this agreement?”
In reply, the minister said the 2017 agreement had been reviewed by a national committee formed during the interim government under a retired Supreme Court judge. The panel included power and energy experts, legal experts, economists and chartered accountants, and also took the opinion of a legal institution specialising in international contracts.
According to the committee’s report, the agreement signed with Adani Power by the previous Awami League government was at an “abnormal price” compared to domestic and international markets.
“In light of the national committee’s report, the government is actively considering approaching the international arbitration court regarding the agreement or amending the agreement in discussions with Adani Power,” the minister said.
He added that the government was taking a tougher stance on the deal amid concerns over unusually high pricing and would consider either international arbitration over disputed provisions or bilateral talks with Adani Power to revise the terms and reduce electricity prices.
The minister said the committee had found that the electricity tariff fixed under the deal, signed during the previous Bangladesh Awami League government, was significantly higher than both domestic and international market rates at the time.
As part of the review, the committee also sought views from international legal experts on cross-border agreements. Quoting the panel, the minister said the contract had become a burden because of its unusually high costs and restrictive conditions.
He said the government would take all necessary steps, based on the committee’s recommendations, to safeguard national interests.
The 25-year agreement, signed in 2017, provides for electricity supply to Bangladesh from Adani’s power plant in Jharkhand, India. The deal has faced public scrutiny since the beginning over concerns about transparency and pricing.
