Bangladesh has sought faster financing from China Exim Bank for power generation expansion, smart grid development and electricity network upgrades as the government looks to strengthen the country’s power infrastructure and accelerate its transition to clean energy.
The issue was discussed at a meeting between a delegation of China Exim Bank, led by its President Wang Chunying, and Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday.
The discussions covered financing for the Payra Thermal Power Plant project, the Power Grid Network Strengthening Project under the government-to-government (G2G) arrangement, and the Expansion and Strengthening of Power Network under the DPDC area project, also under a G2G arrangement.
Both sides also discussed financing opportunities for future power sector projects, according to a statement on the meeting.
The power minister said a reliable electricity and energy supply was fundamental to national development and economic growth. He urged the Chinese bank to expedite financing for the next phases of the Payra project, modernisation of national grid control systems and upgrades to electricity distribution networks under the Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC).
Referring to Bangladesh’s Renewable Energy Policy 2026, Mahmood called for faster financial support for infrastructure that would improve grid efficiency and facilitate the integration of renewable energy into the national electricity system.
He also invited Wang to visit project sites in Bangladesh that had received financing from the bank.
Wang reaffirmed China Exim Bank’s continued support for Bangladesh’s infrastructure development and expressed interest in expanding cooperation in the power and energy sector.
She welcomed recent tariff and duty reductions by the National Board of Revenue aimed at encouraging green energy investment, and expressed interest in financing and providing expertise for ground-mounted and floating solar power, wind energy and waste-to-energy projects.
The meeting also emphasised the need to accelerate institutional responses and financing clearances for the G2G power grid strengthening and DPDC network expansion projects.
Both sides agreed to work together to optimise financial and technical support for strengthening and stabilising Bangladesh’s power sector.
Invest Bangladesh Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, Power Division Secretary Mirana Mahrukh, Bangladesh Power Development Board Chairman Engineer Md. Rezaul Karim and senior Power Division officials attended the meeting.