Energy Crisis: Govt, Opposition join hands

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday announced the formation of a 10-member bipartisan committee in parliament to review the country’s energy situation and recommend measures to ease public suffering.

The move follows a proposal from the opposition, which had called for a joint platform to address the ongoing energy crisis.

Speaking in the Jatiya Sangsad, the prime minister said the committee would comprise five members from the ruling party and five from the opposition, urging the opposition to submit its nominees promptly.

Opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman welcomed the initiative and told parliament that his party would soon provide the names of its representatives.

The development comes a day after a parliamentary discussion triggered by a notice brought by the opposition leader, calling for “immediate and visible steps” to resolve the energy crisis and reduce public hardship.

During that debate, the opposition proposed forming a “common committee” involving both government) and opposition members, a suggestion the prime minister had said would be considered.

Addressing the parliament on Thursday, Tarique Rahman said there was broad agreement among lawmakers that the energy crisis is part of a global challenge.

He noted that the opposition had offered several proposals and that a joint effort could help identify practical solutions.

“The BNP is always ready to engage in discussions with anyone in the interest of the people,” he said, adding that the proposed committee would examine suggestions and forward viable recommendations to the government for implementation.

The prime minister also announced five nominees from the ruling party: Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, State Minister Anindya Islam Amit, and lawmakers ABM Ashraf Uddin Nizan, Moinul Islam Khan, and Mia Nuruddin Apu.

He proposed that Iqbal Hasan Mahmud serve as the committee’s chair, arguing that leadership from the energy ministry would help ensure that recommendations are grounded in reality and can be effectively implemented.

Opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman thanked the prime minister for accepting the proposal expressing hope that parliament would become the central platform for resolving national problems.

He described the initiative as a “new beginning” for parliamentary cooperation.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed urged the opposition to submit its list of nominees quickly, noting that the current session of parliament is set to end later this month.

He said the development had raised public expectations and stressed that cooperation between the government and opposition could help address pressing national challenges.

Besides, opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman also proposed five names for the parliamentary committee — to address the current fuel situation.

Shafiqur suggested three Jamaat MPs — Saiful Alam (Dhaka-12), Abdul Baten (Dhaka-16), and Nurul Islam (Chapainawabganj-3) — along with NCP MP Hasnat Abdullah (Cumilla-4) and Khelafat Majlish MP Mohammed Abul Hasan.

He announced the names hours after the government decided to form a 10-member committee comprising ruling party and opposition MPs.