Bangladesh, Sept. 19 -- Bangladesh cannot become a manufacturing powerhouse while relying on imported liquid fuels and LNG with high, volatile prices and uncertain supplies.

Low wages cannot offset idle machinery, wasted materials and missed delivery deadlines.

Affordable, reliable energy must be at the heart of the country's industrial policy.

The government recognises the problem. In August 2026, Power Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood acknowledged that substantial generation capacity could not be fully utilised because of inadequate fuel.

Bangladesh's immediate challenge is securing affordable electricity from the cheapest possibly sources-including direct imports from India, solar and nuclear-not necessarily running the most expensive...