Speakers at a workshop on Monday stressed the need for taking necessary measures and reforming the policies as per necessity to increase the use of renewable energy at the countrywide industries to face the challenges of LDC graduation.
They said if Bangladesh fails to attain the required capacity in using renewable energy or environment-friendly energy, Bangladesh would face various challenges in international trade during the post-graduation period.
The experts also said if the country fails, many buyers would not consider Bangladesh as the sourcing country while the entrepreneurs would have to pay extra tariff in exports. They came up with such observations at a workshop titled "LDC Graduation and Implementation of Action Plan: Transition towards Efficient and Green Energy in the Industries in Bangladesh: Challenges and Way Forward" held at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital.
Organized by the Ministry of Commerce, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah spoke on the occasion as the chief guest while Power Division Senior Secretary Md Habibur Rahman and Environment, Forests and Climate Change Ministry Secretary Farhina Ahmed spoke as special guests. Presided over by Commerce Ministry Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh, Commerce Ministry additional secretary Md Abdur Rahim Khan gave the address of welcome.
Dr Izaz Hossain, Professor (retd), Chemical Engineering Department, BUET and leading energy expert of the country, made the key-note presentation while RAPID Chairman Dr Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, former DCCI president and Director of BGMEA Shams Mahmud, Energy expert and former member of SHREDA Sidique Zobair and BUET Prof Md Ali Ahammad Shoukat Choudhury and SREDA Chairman Munira Sultana spoke as special guests.
Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, PM's Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah said that there is a need to come out from the traditional trend of using energy to ensure smooth LDC graduation and attain desired goals as per plan.
"It has now become very much essential to ensure mandatory use of renewable energy and environment-friendly energy in international trade. So, the government may reform the existing policies if those are necessary," he added.
Senior Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh said that Bangladesh has the high potential to become the production hub in future considering the current geopolitical trend.
"There is no alternative for enhancing the capacity for using renewable energy to tap that potential and also to fulfill the conditions of EU in trade. If necessary, the government will amend the existing policies," he said stressing on changing the existing tax rate in setting up solar panels.
Senior Secretary of Power Division Md Habibur Raman urged the entrepreneurs to set up rooftop solar panels after taking loans from IDCOL to increase the use of renewable energy in the country.
He informed that the government is planning to purchase power from those industrial units which are generating renewable energy and have excess electricity.
Highlighting the bright potentials of the renewable energy in the country, the Senior Power Division Secretary also informed that the government would get 66MW power from a wind-based power plant at Cox's Bazar in October while two more wind-based power plants would be set up at Mongla and Chokoria in Cox's Bazar.
Eminent economist and RAPID Chairman Dr MA Razzaque said that the European Union (EU) has introduced Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) to reduce carbon emission which is being applied for the first time this year for international trade. Besides, the USA, Canada and Japan have also introduced ETS.