Bangladesh diversifies energy, economic ties
Bangladesh is seeking to diversify its energy sources and reduce dependence on any single supplier as the government pursues a broader strategy to strengthen economic resilience, attract investment and expand the country’s international economic engagement.
“We are working on diversifying our energy sources. We are looking towards African nations,” State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obayed Islam while speaking at a discussion on “Upcoming UNGA and Branding of Bangaldesh” organised by Centre for Non Resident Bangladeshi at a city hotel on Saturday.
Recent global conflicts had demonstrated the risks of relying too heavily on a single source of energy or other essential commodities, she said adding that she was personally working on initiatives involving African countries to explore potential energy sources.
The government is simultaneously placing greater emphasis on renewable energy. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has given particular importance to solar power, she said, noting that the Secretariat building has already been brought under 100 per cent solar energy.
The government is also promoting solar power across other government departments and facilities wherever possible.
Discussions are under way with China and Japan on producing energy from waste, while Bangladesh is exploring multiple avenues to make LNG more accessible and diversify its sources of supply.
Highlighting the potential of the blue economy, she said the foreign ministry has established a dedicated Maritime Wing to focus on the sector, with initiatives under way to utilise Bangladesh’s maritime resources and expand economic opportunities.
The state minister said energy diversification was part of the government’s broader economic diplomacy strategy.
She said the government had inherited a severely weakened economy and banking sector and was working to restore transparency, accountability and investor confidence.
A key objective is to create an environment where both foreign investors and non-resident Bangladeshis feel encouraged to invest in the country.
The government has introduced measures to reduce bureaucratic obstacles, including the Bangladesh Invest initiative, while expanding online services for business registration and other investment-related procedures.
She said the government was also working on a consolidated digital database under the One Citizen, One Card initiative, which would bring citizens’ information held by different government agencies under a single system.
Shama placed particular emphasis on protecting Bangladeshi migrant workers and reducing illegal migration.
She said Bangladesh was working closely with the International Organization for Migration to tackle illegal migration and broker networks that lure people into dangerous routes, including Mediterranean crossings from Libya.
For the first time, she said, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had established a dedicated Migration Wing to address illegal migration and problems faced by expatriate Bangladeshis.
The government also wants to increase the overseas deployment of skilled workers by improving vocational training centres and schools, enabling Bangladeshi men and women to secure legal and dignified employment abroad.
An Expatriate Card initiative is also being pursued, with a target of issuing 200,000 cards by 2027.
The government is also reviewing its visa policy to make Bangladesh more accessible to businesspeople, tourists and foreign workers.
Shama said the Cabinet had approved a revised visa policy, including measures to simplify visa procedures and visa-on-arrival arrangements, with the changes expected to be placed before Parliament.
She said improving conditions at airports and other points of entry would take time but that the government had already begun the process.
Shama said the government wanted to change the way Bangladesh is perceived internationally.
Rather than being viewed primarily through issues such as floods, illegal migration or humanitarian crises, Bangladesh should be presented as a country with democratic progress and growing potential in investment, tourism, trade, culture and the creative economy, she said.
She also highlighted the newly introduced Creative Economy sector in the national budget, saying it could help bring art, handicrafts, cottage industries and cultural heritage into the mainstream economy, particularly creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
The state minister said the upcoming 81st session of the UN General Assembly would provide an important platform to project Bangladesh’s interests and potential, including its positions on the Rohingya crisis, climate change, the right to development, pandemic preparedness and nuclear control.
She said the government’s wider objective was to build a more confident, responsible and economically resilient Bangladesh, with diversified energy sources and broader international economic partnerships at the centre of that effort.
