If the government focuses on total quality management (TQM) in the power sector it would take at least 3 to 4 years to meet the growing demands to a manageable level.

Since we Bengalis are lousy at managerial skills I would opine in favour of hiring foreign expertise, preferably Japanese management teams to address the energy situation both operationally and strategically.

When you see jounalists like Mr. Musa or Nurul Kabir trying to incite unrest against the government for the acute power crisis which has no immediate solution one feels disgusted at the shallowness of senior journalists who behave more like yellow journalists. We have become so selfish that if we are not pampered by the government we opt to stake a anti-government stance. It is even more ugly when you see senior journalists behave irresponsibly. Mr. Musa and Mr. Nurul Kabir seems to have degenerated. It was ridiculous to hear Mr. Musa comparing parliamentary democracy to military dictatorship. Shame on those who take a anti-party stand if they are not offered a share of the pie.

As a quick fix she has chosen the solar panels to be made compulsory on new buildings. For long-term solution on a permanent footing she has rightly opted for the nuclear reactors. In this regard I want to applaud her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his visionary decision soon after independence to seek Russian assistance to build the Rooppur nuclear reactor. Sad to know that the founder had lived for only 3-4 years since independence and all his brilliant ideas were put under lock and key by all the ilegitimate and elected governments over the last 35 years since his brutal assassination. Time and again I see ECNEC and cabinet meetings revisiting the founding father’s brilliant strokeplays to solve our problems even today!

Besides, we have offshore and inland oil and gas, coal and other conventional options to meet our growing needs at present.

The chaotic power sector clearly shows the foresightedness of the BNP-Jamaat alliance in creating chaos and mess for new governments. I am surprised to learn that the total shortage of supply in the national power grid today is about 1500 MWs. This could have been easily addressed in the past 7-9 years if tons of money had not been taken out of the country by the most corrupt government in Bangladesh’s history.

Weeding out corruption from this sector won’t be easy. Let us not only blame ourselves. Foreign companies also indulge in bribery to increase their profit margin.

I am sure that by the time this government complete its term it will feed another 1500-2000MWs and infuse newly found gas reserves into the gas supply. But at the same time it is also exploring other options like solar energy and wind since oil and gas will dwindle globally over the years.

We all know what had happened in the past in the power sector. It was the most corrupt public sector to be exploited by cronies of Tarek Rahman and his family members.Khaleda Zia also overlooked this mega ministry during her past terms as her son was deeply involved in the shady deals and plunder of the national treasury.

Then you have a nexus of public-private racket that steals an enormous amount of energy (i.e., systems loss) from the national power grid.Besides, it takes 3-4 years to build a 1000 MW power plant.

I see hope in the policies undertaken by this government. Gas exploration for new reserves, utilization of coal reserves, solar, nuclear and wind energy are the thrust sectors. Red tapism, a slowly creeping bureaucracy in formulating and implementing projects, corruption and inefficiencies serve as stumbling blocks to our progress.

The public too should share the blame. Has anyone done a study on what amount of energy is wasted in Dhaka city alone because of public irresponsibility and unawareness. Running generators and coolers and other electric appliances unnecessarily in offices and residences must be avoided at any cost