Revisiting the BNP-Jamaat Era: When Power Cuts Were the Norm

A report published in 2005 by one of Bangladesh’s leading newspapers starkly highlights how the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami government drove the nation’s power sector into an unprecedented crisis. Headlined “Three Records of Failure in the Power Sector”, the article revealed the grim reality of a sector crucial to industrial development.

The three glaring records — record power shortages and outages, stagnant power generation, and minimal growth in capacity addition to the national grid — caused severe hardships for the public and brought industrial production to a near standstill.

Frustrated by persistent blackouts affecting homes and factories alike, people took to the streets demanding relief. Ironically, these largely peaceful protests were met with brutal force by law enforcement, acting under government orders at the time.

Another media investigation revealed that security agencies were tasked with gathering intelligence on potential protest sites — a blatant misuse of state machinery under the guise of maintaining law and order, and a clear disregard for public demands.

The countless demonstrations and at least twenty fatalities due to police firing during these protests stand as a dark chapter in BNP rule between 2000 and 2005. Though fifteen years have passed, these memories contrast sharply with the power sector’s management under the Awami League-led government.

These events lend support to multiple surveys conducted by international organisations such as the IRI, which recorded a marked rise in Sheikh Hasina’s popularity. At that time, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman appeared on television attempting to quell public anger, stating:

“My own office faces power outages daily for five to six hours. For a country like Bangladesh, it is entirely unrealistic—and perhaps a luxury—to expect continuous power supply at homes and shopping malls simultaneously.”

He further claimed, “Any plan to provide electricity to the entire population is an illusion for any political party to dream of, announce, or achieve.”

Recently, a video of this interview resurfaced on social media as news broke that Bangladesh has now achieved 100% electricity coverage — a striking contrast to the era of frequent outages.

Media reports attribute the catastrophic failure of the power sector then largely to rampant corruption, shielded from accountability. An illicit alliance between a handful of local business interests, reportedly overseen by Tarique’s close associate Giasuddin Al Mamun, is said to have embezzled two-thirds of the funds allocated to the sector during BNP’s five-year rule.

Despite billions of takas (estimated at Tk 200 billion) pumped into the power sector, the net addition to capacity was a mere 80 MW — a fraction of what was needed.

The then state minister responsible for the power sector resigned in frustration, lamenting his inability to account for at least Tk 60 billion of the Tk 150 billion supposedly spent over five years. He labelled Tarique Rahman a “symbol of violent politics,” an assessment echoed in a confidential 2008 US Embassy cable, leaked by WikiLeaks, in which Ambassador James F. Moriarty described Tarique as:

“Guilty of egregious political corruption that has seriously undermined US national interests… a notorious and widely feared figure representing kleptocratic governance and violent politics in Bangladesh.”

While power outages occasionally still occur under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the scale of power generation and distribution has dramatically improved. Since returning to power in 2009, her government has overseen a remarkable expansion: generation capacity has soared from 4,942 MW to 25,514 MW, and peak production has quadrupled from 3,268 MW to 13,792 MW.

According to the Bangladesh Power Development Board, of this capacity, 1,160 MW is imported, with 19,626 MW generated locally. The recent commissioning of a 1,320 MW plant has placed Bangladesh, South Asia’s youngest nation, ahead of both India and Pakistan in terms of electricity coverage. The World Bank reports India’s coverage at 98% and Pakistan’s at 74%.

A straightforward comparison of the power sector under BNP-Jamaat and Awami League dispels criticism aimed at Sheikh Hasina and offers a lesson for the BNP. Despite thirteen years out of government, BNP leaders have refused to acknowledge their party’s catastrophic mismanagement and corruption in the power sector, which continues to haunt the party’s credibility.

Instead of admitting past failures, BNP has persisted with attacks on the Awami League, even when power outages have become less frequent and the sector more reliable. Their refusal to face the truth only damages their standing with the public.

Ultimately, BNP’s failings in power generation were the most damaging of all, impacting ordinary citizens most directly.

As the Awami League sets new benchmarks in public service delivery, the BNP — often derisively labelled the “Made in Barracks” party — resorts to divisive rhetoric, raising emotive religious issues or hoping for foreign intervention to regain power.