Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku has been appointed Minister for the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, returning to a department where he previously served as state minister.
Anindya Islam Amit, a Member of Parliament from Jessore and son of the late BNP leader Tariqul Islam, has been named state minister in the same ministry.
The new leadership assumes office at a critical juncture for Bangladesh’s energy sector tomorrow. Mounting outstanding liabilities around Tk 40,000 crore in power sector, persistent gas shortages and losses across the power industry present immediate challenges.
Additional pressure is expected in the coming weeks from rising electricity demand during Ramadan, the irrigation season and the summer peak.
Their appointment follows the tenure of former energy adviser M. Fouzul Kabir Khan under the interim administration led initially by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. While some arrears were cleared, significant accumulated liabilities remain.
Tuku becomes the 54th individual to hold ministerial or advisory responsibility for the ministry since independence. The new minister now faces the task of stabilising a sector widely seen as vital to Bangladesh’s economic recovery and growth.