Bangladesh Power Development Board

autonomous · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head: Engr. Md. Rezaul Karim
Role: Chairman
Annual budget: —
Staff: —
Established: 1972
Legal basis: Bangladesh Power Development Boards Order, 1972 (President's Order No. 59 of 1972), effective May 1, 1972; the Order dissolved the East Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (established 1958) and transferred its power undertakings to the new Board

BPDB faces a compounding crisis in May 2026: Adani Power is claiming $688 million in arrears (letter of April 17, 2026; $393 million undisputed) after Bangladesh cleared $437 million in June 2025 and made a $30 million partial payment in November 2025, yet arrears have rebuilt as monthly payments barely cover current bills. The Godda plant's Unit-1 shutdown (from April 21) has widened the summer supply gap to approximately 2,300 MW, with 71 of 143 plants idle due to fuel shortages and unpaid dues. BPDB is simultaneously pursuing SIAC arbitration via UK firm 3VP over Adani's coal pricing methodology. The Interim Government allocated BDT 370 billion in electricity subsidies for FY2025-26, down roughly 30% from the prior year, constraining BPDB's ability to clear IPP arrears.

Recent activity

2026-01-30 legal Bangladesh appointed London-based law firm 3VP (led by King's Counsel Farhaz Khan) to represent BPDB in international arbitration proceedings against Adani Power (Jharkhand) Limited at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), contesting Adani's coal pricing methodology and power tariff calculations. ↗↗↗
2026-04-17 international Pranav Adani, Managing Director of Adani Group's agro, oil and gas division, wrote to BPDB stating total arrears had reached $688 million, of which $393 million is undisputed and equivalent to four to five months of electricity supply; the letter warned of risk of partial or complete supply disruption absent timely payment and requested a meeting with the power and energy minister. ↗↗
2026-04-21 other Adani Power shut down Unit-1 (800 MW) of its Godda plant in Jharkhand four days after the April 17 arrears demand letter; BPDB attributed the closure to a leakage detected in the air preheater. Both Godda units were briefly offline, removing up to 1,600 MW of import capacity and worsening the seasonal load-shedding crisis. ↗↗
2026-05-01 other Summer load-shedding reached a critical threshold: 71 of Bangladesh's 143 power plants are idle or well below capacity due to gas, coal, and furnace-oil shortages, and unpaid bills to domestic and foreign IPPs. BPDB requires 1,200 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of gas to meet peak summer demand of approximately 17,000-18,000 MW, but is receiving only about 870 MMCFD; gas-fired plants with 12,154 MW of installed capacity are producing at most 5,200 MW. The supply-demand gap has reached approximately 2,300 MW on peak evenings. ↗↗↗
2026-05-10 controversy Bangladesh power sector remains in arrears to multiple domestic and foreign IPPs despite a series of partial repayments; BPDB owes approximately Tk 22,000 crore to power plants and Tk 20,000 crore to Petrobangla for gas used in BPDB's own generation plants. Finance Division imposed strict conditions on further power subsidy disbursements, requiring BPDB to submit repayment schedules before receiving the FY2025-26 subsidy tranche. ↗↗↗

Provenance & notes

Chairman Engr. Md. Rezaul Karim took charge as the 39th BPDB Chairman on September 1, 2024, per The Daily Star, Dhaka Tribune, New Age, and The Financial Express reporting on his appointment. He was formerly BPDB Member (Distribution) and holds a B.Sc. Engineering (Electrical) from KUET (1989). BPDB was established May 1, 1972, by President's Order No. 59 of 1972, dissolving the East Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority's power functions (ESCAP Policy Documents Database, bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd). Adani arrears timeline: Bangladesh cleared $437M in June 2025 (covering through March 31, 2025); BPDB paid a further $30M via Bangladesh Krishi Bank LC in November 2025 to avert threatened supply suspension; arrears rebuilt to $688M by Adani's letter of April 17, 2026 ($393M undisputed per Pranav Adani); TBS News and Bonikbarta cross-confirmed. The $845M figure cited in a January 2026 TBS report covered a slightly different period and included penalties. Bangladesh appointed 3VP Chambers (London, KC Farhaz Khan) on January 30, 2026, for SIAC arbitration over coal pricing -- confirmed by Business Standard, TBS, and Bangla Mirror News. Load-shedding figures (71/143 plants idle, ~2,300MW gap, 870 MMCFD gas received vs 1,200 MMCFD needed) are drawn from The Daily Star, Prothom Alo (English), and Bonikbarta English-edition reporting from late April and early May 2026. Annual budget figure for BPDB separately is not publicly itemized on bpdb.gov.bd; the BDT 370 billion cited is the FY2025-26 whole-of-sector electricity subsidy allocation from the national budget, not BPDB's own operating budget. Staff count not published in accessible English-language official source. Verification based on 2+ primary sources for all material claims.

Bangladesh Power Development Board

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