Dhaka, 29 January 2026 – The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), along with 12 other civil society organisations under the Bangladesh Working Group on Energy and Development (BWGED), has demanded the immediate scrapping of the draft 25-year Energy and Power Sector Master Plan, alleging that it was prepared without transparency, democratic process, or meaningful public participation. At a press conference held on January 18, the organisations said the draft plan violates High Court directives that require public consultation and stakeholder engagement in formulating long-term national energy policies. They warned that approving the plan in its current form would jeopardize Bangladesh’s energy security, environmental commitments, and social justice obligations. BELA and BWGED expressed serious concern that the draft continues to rely heavily on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG), coal, and oil even after 25 years, at a time when the global energy transition is moving away from fossil fuels. They said such dependence would expose Bangladesh to volatile international markets and weaken national energy security. The groups also challenged the government’s claim that renewable energy would account for 44 percent of power generation under the plan, arguing that in reality it would reach only about 17 percent by 2050. They described this as misleading and insufficient to meet climate and sustainability goals. Another major criticism was the promotion of what they termed “false solutions,” including hydrogen, ammonia co-firing, and carbon capture technologies. According to BELA, these technologies are expensive, unproven at scale, and risk diverting resources away from proven renewable solutions. The organisations further warned that the draft overestimates future energy demand, which could result in excess power generation capacity. This, they said, would increase capacity charges and impose a heavy financial burden on the public, as already experienced in the power sector. Social and justice dimensions were also highlighted. BELA and BWGED said the draft ignores workers’ rights, gender equity, health impacts, agriculture, education, and the principles of a just transition. They stressed that any energy plan must protect vulnerable communities and ensure fairness in the shift to cleaner energy. The groups cautioned that if implemented, the draft could push Bangladesh’s carbon emissions to 186.3 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (MtCO₂e) by 2050, directly contradicting the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. BELA stated that a long-term energy strategy must be people-centric, climate-just, constitutionally compliant, and environmentally responsible. They emphasized that Bangladesh cannot afford to be locked into a prolonged fossil fuel pathway and that the energy transition must begin urgently. “The energy transition cannot wait,” the organisations said, calling for a new plan that is transparent, participatory, and aligned with global climate science and Bangladesh’s constitutional and environmental obligations.