Rancon and Montrims Ink Deal for Rooftop Solar Plan

The council of advisers has directed the finance ministry to take steps to recover funds deposited by various ministries with banks. The finance ministry is tasked with requesting the Bangladesh Bank to engage with banks to retrieve these deposits. A loan of Tk 790 million is being arranged to help a major RMG owner pay workers' salaries amid ongoing labor unrest. The unrest has led to a 15-20% decline in work orders, with some countries allegedly benefiting. A platform known as the Bekar Sramik Shanggha has contributed to the unrest and vandalism.

Controversies surrounding the Adani power deal have resurfaced, but less attention has been given to the SS Power plant, owned by a private Bangladeshi group, despite its high costs. In FY 2023-24, SS Power's capacity was only utilized at 21%, yet it incurred a Tk 3,288 crore capacity charge. Ramphal Power Plant, with 24% utilization, faced a Tk 2,237 crore charge. Other plants like Barishal Electric (30%), Payra (65%), and Adani’s (61%) also reported high capacity charges, with Adani costing Tk 5,392 crore. Overall, five coal-based plants incurred Tk 15,686 crore in capacity charges.

Customs-related irregularities have been uncovered in Bangladesh's power imports from India's Adani Group, with officials bending legal procedures to evade significant taxes.  Since April 2022, Bangladesh has imported power from Adani's 1,600MW coal-fired plant in Jharkhand without obtaining necessary tax-exemption orders. No bill of entry has been submitted to customs for these imports, raising concerns. An independent body has been formed to scrutinize the power deal following allegations of inflated tariffs. 

Bangladesh is facing daily load shedding of 2,000-3,000 megawatts due to a significant gap between electricity demand and production. Despite this shortage, six furnace-oil power plants with a combined capacity of 600 MW remain idle as the government has not yet decided on their continued operation under a "no-electricity, no-payment" mechanism. Experts suggest that restarting these plants could alleviate a third of the load shedding without requiring new investment.

Huawei and Walton have signed a contract to produce lithium batteries in Bangladesh for telecom Base Transceiver Stations (BTS). Walton will manufacture the batteries, launching them in approximately seven months with an 80,000-piece annual capacity. Huawei will provide technical support, design expertise, and raw materials. This shift from lead-acid to lithium-ion batteries aims to address environmental and efficiency issues.

Universal College Bangladesh has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Eastern Bank PLC to strengthen the link between industry and academia. This partnership aims to offer students enhanced career opportunities through exclusive placements, internships, training programs, and knowledge-sharing sessions. Students will also benefit from guest lectures, career guidance, and mentoring sessions. Recently, Universal College Bangladesh has established several partnerships with reputed organizations to provide practical learning experiences.